THE Church of Ireland Archbishop of Dublin, Most Rev Walton Empey, has spoken of the "groundswell of anger, frustration, bitterness and hurt" endured by members of his church in the Republic following the events at Drumcree.
In his first address to the Dublin and Glendalough diocesan synod, Archbishop Empey said some people in Northern Ireland would say that "it is easy for us in the Republic to make comment in the comparative safety in which we live and that in any event we do not understand the realities of the situation. We remember that the former apartheid government in South Africa often said much the same. We recall that public opinion had a vital part to play in the change that has taken place in that country."
The archbishop went on: "Although history did not begin with Drumcree, no more than it did with Burntollet, Bloody Sunday or Enniskillen and such like it has like many other places and events passed into the folklore of Ireland. It sparked off a train of events that almost engulfed Northern Ireland in civil war and to date has left a legacy of hatred, bitterness and great danger.
"For Church of Ireland people down here there was the pain of seeing one of their churches prominently displayed on their TV screens day after day, while sectarian bigots hurled abuse at the police and intimidated them by shouting out their names and addresses and where their children went to school. The perception was that the Church of Ireland and the Orange Order were one and the same and that there were strong institutional links between them."
Archbishop Empey denied reports that the Church of Ireland had been "strangely silent" about Drumcree and its aftermath. He quoted the Bishop of Clogher, Rt Rev Brian Hannon, saying 10 days after Drumcree that "we have seen an unedifying spectacle both within these islands and tragically, too, within the eyes of the world".
He quoted the Archbishop of Armagh, Dr Eames, saying on July 18th: "In recent days we have seen the naked face of sectarian hatred in this province.
That face has produced words and actions which are totally unacceptable in any civilised society." Archbishop Empey noted that these voices were from the North.
He went on to answer another perception. There is no institutional link between the Orange Order and the Church of Ireland despite the efforts of many to imply that there is. However, the vast majority of congregations in the North has members of that order within them. That is a fact whether we in the Republic like it or not. Personally I find it very difficult to understand how Christ is in any way glorified by means of bands and parades, especially those of an offensively triumphalist nature.
"However, for the sake of fairness and truth, I must say that there are many God-fearing people in the order who see no contradiction in belonging both to it and to the church. They are not sectarian bigots like some of their fellows and indeed are a moderating influence on the wilder elements of the order. It is fair to say that such members were as horrified by recent events as much as any member of these synods."
Archbishop Empey paid tribute to the vast majority of Church of Ireland people in the North who "bear witness to the teaching of Christ in the most difficult and trying of circumstances", including "atrocity after atrocity committed by the IRA". He said that majority had responded "with words of moderation" to last summer's events, although such voices were rarely heard in the media.
He gave an example: "One young Church of Ireland priest in a fiercely loyalist area spoke about the situation surrounding Drumcree. He told his people on the following Sunday that he had tried to get a picture or sign of Christ in recent events.
"He could not see Christ on the barricades mouthing hatred and trying to intimidate the police; he could not see Christ at the head of triumphalist marches into areas where they were not wanted; in fact the only picture he could see of Christ was Him weeping. Weeping because his Gospel of love was being trampled on by those who carried his name on their lips."
The archbishop said this young minister had concluded that it was "Satan who is walking about this province of ours. That was witnessing to Christ and that to me is a true reflection of the spirit and ethos of the Church of Ireland."
He went on: "A source of much of the anger felt by Church of Ireland members in the South is the fact that after church services some of the marches proceed to confront police and other people. We have to admit that we have a difficulty here as a church. It is not in our tradition to ban anyone from coming to our church services nor do we have the legislative power to forbid them from doing so.
"But surely we have the moral right to ask any organisation which comes to worship to signify that they are not going to leave that service and behave in a manner totally inimical to the profession of Christianity?"
Archbishop Empey said he strongly supported a motion before the synod suggesting that the General Synod of the Church of Ireland should "set up a representative committee to consider the implications of using church properties in circumstances where there is a likelihood of violence and the breakdown of law and order."
He concluded by saying he had no intention of trying to defend the indefensible. It was enough to say that nowhere did the New Testament tell him that as a "member of Christ" it was legitimate to shout threats from a barricade or to intimidate those who differed from him.