22 October 1998 Edition
Church of Ireland Drumcree turmoil
By Laura Friel
The rift between Church of Ireland ministers remains unresolved after Robin Eames backed the Orange lobby north of the border this week. The inability of the Church of Ireland to shake off the shackles of its association with the Orange Order continues to threaten the integrity of the Church as an All Ireland body.
Addressing the Armagh Diocesan Synod, All Ireland Primate Eames failed to signal the kind of distance that ministers south of the border have been lobbying for since the antics of the Orange Order at Drumcree Parish Church dragged the Church of Ireland into disrepute.
The Primate's speech, while containing some strong reproaches to the Orange Order, fully supported the stance of Rev.John Pickering, the rector at the centre of the Drumcree crisis. Pickering has dismissed a call by a group of 160 fellow ministers, including the Archbishop of Dublin Dr Walton Empey, to bar Orangemen from attending the July service at Drumcree which flags the demand to march down the Garvaghy Road. ``The service at Drumcree goes ahead as it does every Sunday in our church,'' insisted Pickering.
It was a sentiment reiterated by Eames, ``It has been suggested by some people that either this service should be banned or members of the Orange Order should not be admitted. This is NOT the way of the Church of Ireland''.
A request by the Catalyst group for a meeting has also been rejected by Pickering. The group, largely based in the south, has been the most critical lobby opposed to the Orange Order within the Church of Ireland. A spokesperson said it was regrettable that the Drumcree rector did not want to meet the organisation. ``We believe that face to face dialogue is the way ahead,'' he said.
Despite the impact of the Drumcree crisis on the integrity of the Church of Ireland as a whole, by insisting that the issue is dealt with within the Armagh Diocese Eames excludes input to the debate by those most critical of the Orange Order - ministers and parishoners south of the border. The power and influence of the Orange Order in the north holds greater sway.
While Eames' speech to the synod was rigorous in its condemnation of the violence associated with the Drumcree protest, the impact of his criticism is ameliorated by recognition of the supposed grievances felt by Orangeism.
``I know your feelings at present. I know your concerns. I know while so many of you deplore the violence, in your heart of hearts you believe your rights are being denied.'' Eames extends no such `understanding' to the people of the Garvaghy Road. The residents' group, says Eames, ``was acting to a strategy, carefully prepared and well planned over several years. Intransigence is the word the media frequently use.''
In refusing to exercise his authority as Primate, Eames can only plead with the Orange Order to behave. Eames admits that such appeals have been ignored by Orangemen in the past: ``the Portadown Lodges chose to ignore all of those appeals and the protest has continued,'' he said.
The rift between Church of Ireland ministers remains unresolved after Robin Eames backed the Orange lobby north of the border this week. The inability of the Church of Ireland to shake off the shackles of its association with the Orange Order continues to threaten the integrity of the Church as an All Ireland body.
Addressing the Armagh Diocesan Synod, All Ireland Primate Eames failed to signal the kind of distance that ministers south of the border have been lobbying for since the antics of the Orange Order at Drumcree Parish Church dragged the Church of Ireland into disrepute.
The Primate's speech, while containing some strong reproaches to the Orange Order, fully supported the stance of Rev.John Pickering, the rector at the centre of the Drumcree crisis. Pickering has dismissed a call by a group of 160 fellow ministers, including the Archbishop of Dublin Dr Walton Empey, to bar Orangemen from attending the July service at Drumcree which flags the demand to march down the Garvaghy Road. ``The service at Drumcree goes ahead as it does every Sunday in our church,'' insisted Pickering.
It was a sentiment reiterated by Eames, ``It has been suggested by some people that either this service should be banned or members of the Orange Order should not be admitted. This is NOT the way of the Church of Ireland''.
A request by the Catalyst group for a meeting has also been rejected by Pickering. The group, largely based in the south, has been the most critical lobby opposed to the Orange Order within the Church of Ireland. A spokesperson said it was regrettable that the Drumcree rector did not want to meet the organisation. ``We believe that face to face dialogue is the way ahead,'' he said.
Despite the impact of the Drumcree crisis on the integrity of the Church of Ireland as a whole, by insisting that the issue is dealt with within the Armagh Diocese Eames excludes input to the debate by those most critical of the Orange Order - ministers and parishoners south of the border. The power and influence of the Orange Order in the north holds greater sway.
While Eames' speech to the synod was rigorous in its condemnation of the violence associated with the Drumcree protest, the impact of his criticism is ameliorated by recognition of the supposed grievances felt by Orangeism.
``I know your feelings at present. I know your concerns. I know while so many of you deplore the violence, in your heart of hearts you believe your rights are being denied.'' Eames extends no such `understanding' to the people of the Garvaghy Road. The residents' group, says Eames, ``was acting to a strategy, carefully prepared and well planned over several years. Intransigence is the word the media frequently use.''
In refusing to exercise his authority as Primate, Eames can only plead with the Orange Order to behave. Eames admits that such appeals have been ignored by Orangemen in the past: ``the Portadown Lodges chose to ignore all of those appeals and the protest has continued,'' he said.