INTER-CHURCH COMMITTEE ON NORTHERN IRELAND
ST MALACHY’S COLLEGE, BELFAST
ADDRESS BY CARDINAL SEÁN BRADY
1 NOVEMBER, 2001

Dear friends, it is good to see you all here in Belfast. To our American guests from the Presbyterian and Catholic Churches at this historic time I offer a most warm welcome. Céad míle fáilte – a hundred thousand welcomes. I also extend a warm welcome to my friends from the Presbyterian Church in Ireland
I begin by expressing to our visitors the heartfelt sympathy of the people of Ireland on the awful attack of 11 September. Few countries in the Western world can empathise with the US on this traumatic experience in the way Ireland can. Our experience of violence admittedly has been of a vastly different nature and of a radically different scale and timeframe. Nonetheless we know of the horror of the unsuspected attack and of the grief of those who have lost loved ones. Before dusk on September 11 last it was obvious to Irish people that the world order had radically changed – that what happened in New York and Pennsylvania and Washington DC, in addition to being a tragedy for thousands of families and commercial families, indeed to a whole nation, would also have a profound effect on the whole world, not least in Ireland. I dare to say, however, that the attack has further strengthened the bonds of friendship between these islands and the US – that in a peculiar kind of way our own political problems in Northern Ireland have been set in stark relief in face of a very sinister international threat – more of which I will speak anon.

The Inter-Church Committee on Northern Ireland is a much-prized institution – a term I use advisedly since it is now in its 11th year. The contribution of the United States of America to peace in this country has been very considerable and absolutely pivotal. Without the sustained interest and intervention of the United States in recent years, I do not believe that we would be so far on in the peace process. Indeed, without the US, we might not have had or still have a peace process at all. At the time of the Good Friday Agreement the American, British and Irish Administrations seemed to work in unison – providing an international dynamic and energy which could not be arrested by any problem or obstacle. For this we must truly thank God.

The Churches in the US, particularly the Presbyterian and Catholic Churches, have played a pivotal role over the years. They were voices for moderation and for non-violence. They wrote memoranda and compiled reports which truly made a difference. They interested themselves in various individual cases of pastoral and humanitarian concern, many of which had little or no media profile in Ireland or in the United States. They brought, as appropriate, various issues of justice and equality to the attention of their elected representatives. They kept faith with the local Churches in Ireland and the lands of their forefathers on these Northern Isles. This interest and concern continue and for this we are truly grateful.

The advent of the Internet means that many of our American friends here present are no strangers to the Belfast and Dublin newspapers. They are up-to-speed on Northern Ireland in a way scarcely possible before. Nonetheless, as requested, I wish to deal with some of the important issues which face our country at this time and specifically under the following four headings: decommissioning, response to decommissioning, policing and sectarianism.

DECOMMISSIONING

The word “historic” has been much used in the past week to describe the act of decommissioning by the IRA. What many people feared would never happen and others hoped would not happen, eventually came to pass. The issue of decommissioning truly had and I suppose, still has the capacity to derail the whole peace process.

After the Irish Civil War in the 1920s weapons were not decommissioned, but allowed to rust. This has happened in other countries after periods of conflict. Decommissioning of illegally held weapons is undoubtedly part of the Good Friday Agreement. The challenge for its architects at the time of the Agreement was to construct a package capable of bringing the various strands of opinion and political aspiration together. This was truly a mammoth task, one, which I think, those responsible admirably succeeded in achieving, and decommissioning of paramilitary weapons was destined to be high on the agenda in this regard. Decommissioning has a deep importance and symbolism for many Unionists. For Nationalists, in general, silent guns pose no threat.

The confirmation last week by the Independent International Commission on Decommissioning that an act of decommissioning had taken place was, in general, greeted with great relief by pro-Agreement people in the North, both Protestant and Catholic. Undoubtedly it is another major step forward in the peace process. It would be foolhardy to believe that there will not be other crises – that many will not call for more decommissioning at an early date, that the nature of the decommissioning and the role of the IICD will not be seriously questioned, that the target date of 2002 for the completion to the process of disarmament will not be emphasised, and that once again the institutions of the Agreement will not be jeopardised. However, the decommissioning process has begun and the Republican family has, in general, apparently remained intact which is undoubtedly a great tribute to the leadership. For Republicans to hold back on decommissioning really seems to play into the hands of their anti-Agreement opponents. The challenge facing Republicans was quite stark – only decommissioning could save the Agreement and its institutions.

From a Nationalist perspective no one can underestimate the importance of the power-sharing arrangements now in place. These institutions – The Assembly, Executive, North-South Ministerial Council, North-South Bodies – underline that the State of Northern Ireland acknowledges in the very essence of its being that Nationalist and Republican aspirations must be accommodated – that they are valued and noble and legitimate aspirations in themselves – that Northern Ireland is British, Orange, Protestant, Unionist and Loyalist but also and in a real sense, no less so, Irish, Green, Catholic, Nationalist, Republican. The presence of Nationalists and Republicans in the government of Northern Ireland in the previously despised Stormont eloquently testifies to the “equality principle” so often flagged.

Did the events of September 11 precipitate the process of decommissioning? There are various views in this regard. Undoubtedly now in the Western world there is a new fear of terrorism, an unqualified and unequivocal abhorrence of it. Fear of losing friends in the United States, particularly in the wake of the Colombian affair, undoubtedly focused minds and in a sense set the inescapable context for a very difficult and unpalatable move for many Republicans. However, political realities must eventually be acknowledged and rubicons must always be crossed.

RESPONSE TO DECOMMISSIONING

The demilitarisation that has taken place in the aftermath of the decommissioning is to be welcomed. Observation posts and sangars are very obviously blight on the landscape. The people who live in their shadow not surprisingly find them an unacceptable intrusion into their daily lives.

We look forward to an increasingly normal society when Northern Ireland can be truly and fully demilitarised. The extraordinary security measures of the past thirty years must certainly not continue for one day longer than absolutely necessary. Considerations of the furthering of normal civilian life, as opposed to the dictates of a simply security agenda, must be to the fore.

The decision by the Ulster Unionists to return to the Executive in the wake of decommissioning is to be greatly welcomed. It is important that measures of graciousness and generosity are reciprocated with generosity and graciousness and all those committed to the Agreement make it as easy as possible for one another. We pray that the First Minister and Deputy First Minister positions will soon be confirmed and that the work of the Executive can continue unhindered and unthreatened.

POLICING

Since the last meeting of this group there have been huge developments in the field of policing. Next Sunday the Royal Ulster Constabulary will cease to be and the Police Service of Northern Ireland will come into being. This truly is an historic event and very radically changes the perception of policing, if not the nature of policing also.

None of us should underestimate the wrench that exists for many Unionists and Protestants in the name-change of the Police. They see it as denigrating the memory of the 300 members who were killed during the Troubles; they see it as trashing the sacrifices, which many policemen and their families made to prevent this State from collapsing into utter anarchy. Their feelings must be deeply respected. By the same token we cannot ignore that in many Nationalist and Republican areas there was complete and utter alienation from the Police. When a community feels that it is part of the policing process only in so far as it is policed, then there is something radically wrong. A Police Force where Catholics were so radically underrepresented could never do its job successfully.

I am very relieved and happy that 50% of the first batch of new recruits, numbering 308 in total, for the new policing service are Catholic. What will develop over the years is a police service that is perceived to be as Catholic as it is Protestant, as nationalist as it is unionist. Policing in any society is never easy and this is particularly true in a divided society. And in a deeply polarised society such as this one, it is all the more imperative that the different strands, which make up the society, are properly and justly represented in the police force. I believe that policing in this society will one day, hopefully not in the too distant future, be seen to be truly non-political and that it can be exercised in the normal and relaxed way.

I pay tribute to the present leadership in the RUC who have had to make courageous operational changes in recent years and to accommodate to a whole new approach. This I think they have done with much professionalism.

It is a source of regret that Sinn Féin has not taken its seats on the new Policing Board. However, I hope that this can be corrected in the not too distant future. The role of the Policing Board is crucial since it involves the community, emphasising that the police force is of the community, not just in it. The Policing Board will have to sort out the thorny issue of flags, emblems and symbols. I am absolutely convinced that these must be neutral and should, in so far as possible, be devoid of any political, national or historical connotation. Emblems play a major part in any society but are all the more powerful and potentially destructive in a divided society. I hope that the issue of emblems can be satisfactorily worked out.
The Office of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland has been in existence for one year and has made a very powerful and favourable impact. The news reported earlier this week that the son of the Ombudsman and her SDLP Councillor husband was picked out from among a group of his school mates and beaten up by a group of hooded men is deeply disturbing and is a reminder of the still-existent evil and shadowy side of life in this country.

I should also like to pay tribute Mr Tom Constantine, Oversight Commissioner for Police Reform in Northern Ireland. In January of this year his first report was released outlining his intended approach and methodology. His second was published last September. His task is to oversee the progress of the changes recommended by Patten. In his second report he notes that the final responsibility for progress rests with the various institutions. He cautions that lack of financial support could create an impact, which would be more adverse than lack of political will, or resistance to change. He says that his policy is that the oversight process will be apolitical, objective, rigorous and of the highest standard of integrity.

SECTARIANISM

Many years ago the Irish Inter-Church Committee identified sectarianism as one of the root causes of conflict in our society. They commissioned a study which has been published entitled, Sectarianism, and since then another document entitled, Beyond Sectarianism, has been published.

I am unsure to what degree the political progress of recent years has dented the body of sectarianism, which exists to an unnaturally virulent degree in this society.

What we can be sure of, however, is that with the great decrease of violence in recent years the existence and nature of sectarianism in our society have been unmasked in a way that was simply not possible in a era when violence and collateral security measures prevailed. Northern Ireland society of the past thirty years was to a great degree radically dysfunctional – shootings, killings, bombings, revenge attacks political and social chaos. This environment was one in which sectarianism could flourish, but in a very subtle way in so far that some of its virulent forms were concealed. It is only now that in relative peace and political progress, in the absence of atrocities forcing other issues off the airwaves and off the front page of the newspapers, that the insidious nature and sustained occurrence of various forms of sectarianism, some of them new, are surfacing.

Sectarianism, I feel, will be the last of Northern Ireland’s problems to be dealt with. Political measures can perhaps be more easily taken to deal with other issues. Dealing with sectarianism, however, because of its elusive and spasmodic nature, and because of the deeply polarised nature of our society, in a sense no less polarised by political progress, is more difficult.

The current harassing of children and their parents on their way to school in North Belfast has been widely condemned. Commentators have offered various reasons for the sense of alienation of the Protestant community in that area. Some have suggested that adapting to the new political realities of our time is simply too difficult for many at this time. Some commentators have interestingly pointed out that while sectarianism may be condemned, the level of tolerance of its existence is very high.
If it is difficult to imagine children and their parents being harassed on their way to school in any other society in the Western world, it is all the more difficult to imagine it being tolerated in any way in any other society. That this problem in North Belfast has persisted for so long and has taken so many awful forms, while the greater population of the land continue their lives as normal, to a certain degree oblivious to the problem, is distressing.

Sectarianism exists in many forms and both communities are affected by it and are guilty of it. I am convinced, however, that we need much more public debate about its nature and its prevalence. In situations of community strife we hear a lot of talk about the two communities coming to an amicable resolution. This can give the impression that objectively both sides are equally in the right or equally in the wrong, when in fact this may not be the case at all. Objectively it could be argued that one side has the greater balance of rights – but who or what is objectivity in a divided society?

There is great tolerance in this country for words and conduct, graffiti and posters, which essentially are offensive to those of the other tradition. This needs to be tackled more determinedly at government level.
It is interesting to note that in Britain at present a debate has begun as to what constitutes religious harassment. I am absolutely convinced that we have a lot to learn from many countries in the Western world with ethnic minorities where a raft of legislation has been enacted to ensure the protection of their rights. The work of the various bodies established under the Agreement, including the new Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission and the Equality Commission will be invaluable in this regard.

GRADUAL PEACE IN WAY FORWARD

Ten years ago or even five years ago, few of us could have imagined that so much political progress could have been made in Northern Ireland. We are coming out of just not thirty years of violence but several hundred years of conflict. We are truly a traumatised people. Peace will take a long time to really root. Healing the hurts and caring for victims will take time. Reconciliation and forgiveness will take time. There will undoubtedly be many obstacles and crises ahead. Yet I am convinced that the path to peace is irreversible. The thrust of our society towards peace and reconciliation is irrevocable.

Accommodation is the way forward. Northern Ireland is truly British and Irish, Catholic and Protestant, Unionist and Irish. The term “compromise” needs to be more widely used and the concept more deeply and widely interiorised. When the work of justice or equality is done we need to hear less use of the word “concession”. Understanding, respect, goodwill, generosity and graciousness need to be the hallmarks of relations in our divided society. Peace is possible. Justice and equality and a proper standard of living for all are possible. There will be hiccups. Progress will undoubtedly be tortuously slow on many fronts. However, I remain strongly hopeful that Northern Ireland can truly jettison some very painful and cumbersome baggage from the past and emerge as a civil and working and workable society.

That a large section of the Protestant community has from the beginning been opposed to the Good Friday Agreement and that some of those Protestants who voted for the Agreement now are against it, is deeply worrying. People must seek to understand this mindset and to address, where possible, legitimate fears, concerns. They must build trust and confidence and give evidence of sincerity of intention and earnestness of endeavour.

The Churches, however, individually and collectively, must continue to speak out in the cause of what is right. We must be voices of moderation and of courage. Perhaps the most difficult thing for any clergyman to do is to challenge his own people. This, however, is part of the Gospel. I pray that we ministers may have that courage.

I am just back from Synod of Bishops where we talked about the need for the bishop to be a sign of peace and reconciliation. I think every minister of the Christian Gospel must be a sign of peace and reconciliation. The Synod also recommended that the bishop should

1. Condemn the use of violence as a means of conflict
2. Point out the causes of division and strife – causes, which are often founded in injustice.
3. Promote dialogue to bring about reconciliation.
4. Take pastoral care of victims, especially victims of violence and especially our refugees and asylum seekers.
5. Urge people, by word and example, to be reconciled, not only with their neighbour but also with God, who is the source of true peace of heart and mind.

EXTRACT
INTERVENTION
X WORLD SYNOD OF BISHOPS
MOST REV. SEÁN BRADY, DCL
ELEVENTH GENERAL CONGREGATION
(MORNING, OCTOBER 8TH 2001)

To be a servant of hope, a bishop must be himself a man of hope. He must find time to contemplate the grounds of hope in his own life, namely the promises of Christ and the presence of the Holy Spirit.
One of the great signs of hope today is the hunger for God and the desire for prayer which so many people experience. To meet that need the Bishop and his chief collaborators, the priests, must reconcile in their own lives being seated at the feet of the Lord, like Mary, and being busy building the Kingdom on earth, like Martha.

Another sign of hope today is the number of people who, in their search for meaning and purpose in life, take up the study of philosophy and of theology. They must be inspired to become dynamic agents of hope in their time, as Jesus was in his.

The willingness of the Church to promote justice and peace is a tremendous sign of hope, especially for the poor and oppressed. The consistent and courageous defence of the dignity of every human person irrespective of health or wealth, race or religion, is an example of how the Bishop offer reasons for hope.

When the Bishop clearly sets forth the teaching of the Church in favour of life in opposition to the culture of death, in favour of marriage and of the family, in favour of peace as opposed to violence, he becomes a beacon of hope to those who suffer in the darkness of despair and discouragement.

We must stand under the Cross with those who grieve and try to console the broken-hearted. At an appropriate time the Bishop will encourage them to let go of their grief and try to persuade them to offer forgiveness and reconciliation. At such times, the presence of the Bishop among his people and his availability to his priests is vitally important. It is a rich source of hope as they struggle to restrain the violent, calm passion and restore peace.

The final sign of hope which I want to mention is the invitation of Pope John Paul contained in Novo millenio ineunte to see the light of the Trinity shine on the face of the Brothers and Sisters around us.
It is in that spirit of appreciation and mutual trust that the question of the relationship between the Universal Church and local Church should be discussed. The ministry of the Bishop of Rome is the visible sign and guarantee of unity. This essential good, as Ut unum sint calls it, must always be seen as a great gift by the particular Church. One gift which the Particular Church is uniquely placed to offer in exchange is its knowledge and experience of conditions in the local situation.

DAY OF MOURNING
FOR VICTIMS OF THE AMERICAN TRAGEDY
REMEMBRANCE MASS
St Malachy’s Church, Armagh, 14 September 2001, 7.30 p.m.
HOMILY BY CARDINAL SEÁN BRADY

DARK DAY IN HISTORY

Last Tuesday was a dark day in the history of the world. On that day the forces of evil launched a ferocious attack. It was an attack not only on the innocent passengers and crew of the four airliners concerned, not only on the men and women going about their business and doing their work in the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon, but an attack on the dignity of every human person on the planet.

EXALTATION OF THE CROSS

Today the Church celebrates the Triumph of the Cross. The Cross is, of course, the Cross of Jesus Christ on which the darkness of sin was scattered once and for all and the light of life was restored. Tonight we are celebrating the fact that even if, at times, the forces of darkness appear to have the upper hand those who believe in God know that evil and death do not have the final say. By dying on the Cross for love of us Jesus has destroyed death. By rising from the dead he has given us all hope of life after death. At times like this Christian faith in the death and resurrection of Christ is a source of immense strength and courage.

THE DEAD, INJURED AND TRAUMATISED

Our first thoughts tonight are with those who have died and with their families. We think of the heroic Fire Fighters and Police Officers who met their death as they tried valiantly to save the lives of others. They are all innocent victims of savage brutality and fanatical hatred. We ask Almighty God to receive into His rest all who perished in these atrocities.

Those injured, traumatised and shocked by these absurd actions are very much in our prayers at this time. We offer them the sympathy and support of our concern and good wishes. We ask God to give them complete healing, consolation and peace of mind.

We think especially of those many families waiting in quiet desperation, yet hoping against hope, for good news of a missing loved-one. May Mary who waited for three days for news of her missing Son pray for them tonight.

COMPARISON WITH NORTHERN IRELAND

Here in Northern Ireland we have had many dark days, many such innocent victims, many such hours of suffering over the past thirty years. Yes, the scale has been different, but the horror was then, and is now, the same. It is the horror that we experience when we realise that human lives are being ruthlessly destroyed and wiped off the face of the earth by the actions of fellow human beings. We too have experienced the horror that follows from carnage and destruction – whether that carnage takes place in Omagh or Oklahoma, the horror remains the same. We too have looked on in disbelief that any human being could ever be so heartless as to inflict such brutality on another member of the human race.

RESPECT FOR LIFE

However, events of recent years have led us to hope for the dawn of a more peaceful era. That new dawn of hope may never break into the bright day of peace unless we can learn some lessons from this awful atrocity. Essentially these savage acts were carried out by people who had no respect for human life, neither for their own life, nor for the life of their innocent victims. We are all members of the same human race, no matter what the colour of our skin or the nation of our origin. Each one of us is an individual person of precious worth. Each one of us is made in the image and likeness of God, worthy of respect for our own sake.

For every human life, no matter how apparently insignificant, has a greatness and a value that is beyond description. Every human person is called to share in the very life of God. Life on earth is something sacred. Life is entrusted to each one of us to be preserved with a sense of responsibility and to be respected in ourselves and in each other with a sense of dignity. So, every threat to human life and dignity poisons human society and supremely dishonours the creator. Whatever is opposed to life itself, such as any type of murder; whatever violates the integrity of the human person, such as pipe-bomb attacks or punishment beatings; whatever insults human dignity, such as arbitrary imprisonment and banishment; all of this, without exception, is deeply shameful.

LEADERS OF NATIONS

Another lesson we draw is that the only real basis for a genuine peace is respect and justice. Violence solves nothing as we have learned only too painfully here in Northern Ireland. Violence only begets violence and sows the seeds of future hatred and conflict. At this time we pray especially for the leaders of nations that they will not be swayed by hatred and by the spirit of vengeance. May they rather continue to have faith in the power of good to conquer evil, and remain steadfast in their commitment to the construction of a better world rather than the destruction of their enemies.

SACRIFICE OF EMERGENCY SERVICES

Jesus said, “it is in losing life that we find it”. This was the ideal that governed his own lifetime of service. It reached its highest manifestation in his dying and in his rising from the dead. Some of you will have heard accounts of how the crowd rushing out of the World Trade Centre met heroic firemen heading into the building, never to return. May the example of their courage inspire all of us. May their willingness to sacrifice their lives, make us more prepared to make sacrifices for the sake of others.

TRIUMPH OF THE CROSS

The feast of the Triumph of the Holy Cross celebrates our belief that God loved the world so much that He sent His only son into the world. Jesus came not to condemn the world but that through him the world might be saved and have eternal life. Jesus saved the world by dying, an innocent victim, nailed to a cross on Calvary. It was a death that was savage, brutal and totally unjust. It was a death that revealed the extent of God’s love for each one of us. It was a death that proved to be the doorway to everlasting life.

In every Mass the saving of the world achieved once and for all on Calvary, through the death of Jesus, is renewed and made fruitful. In this Mass we present to the Lord of Life all those brothers and sisters who have met death anywhere on this earth in the folly of violence. And, as we do so, we ask that they find, in the peace of the Lord, sure joy and everlasting happiness. We pray that their deaths may not be in vain but may herald new times of harmony and co-operation among peoples of the world.

May they spur us all to work tirelessly and courageously for the healing of broken hearts and the reconciling of differences, no matter how deep or how difficult to resolve those differences may appear to be. May this time of darkness give way to a bright dawn of greater understanding, harmony and co-operation among the nations of the world.

STATEMENT
BY
MOST REVEREND SEAN BRADY
ARCHBISHOP OF ARMAGH

The political parties in Northern Ireland will shortly consider the response of the two Governments to the recent talks in Weston Park.

I encourage all people of goodwill to reflect on the critical stage we have reached in the peace process and to pray that God will guide all who have serious political decisions to make at this time. The long-term future and wellbeing of us all is at stake. The political progress made to date must be consolidated and built-upon. The very fragile peace we enjoy at present must be strengthened.

I request clergy to make this crucial situation the subject of special prayer on Sunday, 29 July.

23 July, 2001

FAITH AND LIGHT CONFERENCE
DERRY
INTERVENTION
BY
MOST REV. SEÁN BRADY
ARCHBISHOP OF ARMAGH
6 JULY, 2001

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. Alive in his Church he is the source of hope for the world. On the night before he died at the Last Supper with his disciples he prayed: “Father, I ask not only on behalf of these – my disciples – but also on behalf of those who believe in me through their word – that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you – may they also be in us so that the world may believe that it was you who sent me.” The unity of Christians is necessary so as to show to the world God’s love in giving his only Son. When this takes place the supreme desire of Jesus will have been fulfilled.
The last millennium was the millennium of the great divisions. Hopefully this will be the millennium of reunions. In 1054 East and West went their separate ways. The Reformation divided the Western Church. Then there was the Enlightenment which saw the separation of reason from revelation, science from faith.
Europe was the continent in which the divisions originated. There is much talk today of the unity of Europe, that is of political and economic unity. But the very idea of Europe was born and developed in the light of one common Christian faith – as the life and teaching of St Columbanus shows for example. At the age of 50 he left Bangor to set out to re-evangelise Europe after the destruction wrought by the Barbarians and he worked first in what is now France, then in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, before founding his last and greatest monastery in Bobbio where he died in 615. He said he could never understand how Christian could ever be in conflict with Christian since such a conflict reveals a failure to understand what being a Christian really means.

Today the scandal of division among Christians is acutely felt in an era when we should be standing together and working closely in the face of our common enemy – namely those who would seek to minimize the Cross of Jesus Christ and to empty it of its meaning by denying that it is in the Cross we have the source of new life. Believers in Christ cannot remain divided if we wish to truly effectively oppose that tendency to reduce to powerlessness the saving death and resurrection of Jesus.

We live at the beginning of a new century and a new millennium which bring its own hope. The last century has seen considerable ecumenical progress. That progress is a sign of great hope for the Church today. It was the recognition that disunity was a major stumbling block in the preaching of the Good News brought by Jesus Christ and to belief in him that brought the modern ecumenical movement into existence. Protestant mission societies meeting at Edinburgh in 1910 came to acknowledge that divisions among themselves were greatly reducing the effectiveness of their preaching of Christianity in such countries as India.

The Catholic Church was a late arrival among those committed to the search for Christian unity. Until the Second Vatican Council the Catholic Church remained officially distant from the ecumenical movement. Pope John XXIII wished to see this changed by having the Fathers of the Council take up the question of Christian unity. That Council radically altered our approach as Catholics to the ecumenical movement.
The Council recognised that the movement for the restoration of unity among all Christians is fostered by the grace of the Holy Spirit. It pointed out that the divisions among Christians prevent the Church from effecting the fullness of the Catholicity proper to her. It noted with gratitude the growing participation of Catholics in ecumenical work. It commended this work to Bishops throughout the world for their promotion and guidance.

This commitment by a Council of the Church remains binding today. In the 36 years since the Council the Catholic Church has gradually assumed a prominent role in the ecumenical movement. It has, with God’s grace, solid achievements which show the sincerity and strength of its ecumenical commitment. There are two basic aspects of the Catholic Church’s work in ecumenism. The first is the promotion of the ecumenical task within the local or particular Catholic Churches or dioceses. The second is the building up of relations with other Churches and ecclesial communions. The approval of the Council document on ecumenism was an important beginning, but it was only the beginning. The next step was to make the teaching contained in that document part of the self-understanding of the Catholic Church. A secretariat for the promotion of Christian unity, now known as the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity, was set up in the Vatican. Its task is to help the Bishops throughout the world carry out the ecumenical task. Ecumenical commissions were set up within bishops’ conferences to bring the teaching of the Council into the life of the dioceses. Every diocese was recommended to have its own ecumenical commission or officer.

The Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity published an ecumenical directory in 1970; this was updated and enlarged in 1993. In 1995 the Pontificial Council co-operated with Pope John Paul in preparing a special encyclical letter entitled, Christian Unity. It deals with our commitment to ecumenism.

The statement of the Holy Father in the Encyclical that the movement promoting Christian unity is an organic part of the Church’s life and work, brought joyful hope to a lot of people. It gave fresh heart to local communities and communities of consecrated life that are already working in this areas of practical and spiritual ecumenism. The same Encyclical says that the Church must enter into a dialogue of conversion, that is an examination of conscience. Whether in his meetings in Rome with visiting dignitaries or with leaders of other Churches or during his pastoral visits abroad the Holy Father has lived out this commitment of the Catholic Church to the restoration of unity among all the disciples of the One Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

At this time the Catholic Church is in official dialogue with the ancient Oriental Churches, the Orthodox Churches, the Anglican Communion, the Lutheran World Federation, the World Methodist Council, the World Alliance of Reformed Churches. It is also having important discussions with the World Baptist Alliance, the Mennonites, some Pentecostals and Evangelicals. In addition it maintains close contact in many ways with the World Council of Churches. Last May a joint working group of the World Council of Churches and the Roman Catholic Church met in Dromantine, Co. Down. These dialogues have produced valuable material for the world ecumenical movement. They have resulted in some outstanding theological agreements which deserve mention.

The theological dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion, known as ARCIC, has produced documents of great value. Some have been officially received by the two communities, for example, the sections of the final report on Eucharist and ministry. Others such as the recent Gift of Authority have offered the Churches valuable matter for reflection and reception.

An outstanding achievement of the ecumenical movement was undoubtedly the signing in Augsburg, Germany on 31 October, 1999, of the joint declaration on justification between the Lutheran World Federation and the Catholic Church. A very interesting consultation study day organised by the Irish Inter-Church Committee was held in Mount Oliver, outside Dundalk, to get reactions from the main Churches here on this joint declaration on justification. This took place last May. These are all positive developments, which provide us with reason for optimism and hope as we cross the threshold of the new millennium.

The Great Jubilee of the Year 2000 was foreseen by the Holy Father as a promising opportunity for the fruitful co-operation in the many areas which unite us: these he wrote are “unquestionably more numerous than those which divided us”. You may remember that at the beginning of the Jubilee Year the opening of the holy door of one of the four Roman Basilicas, that of St Paul’s Outside the Walls, was delayed until the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, and so on January 18, 2000, leaders from 22 Churches, ecclesial communions and international Christian organisations gathered for the opening of that door. The most moving moment was when the Pope, together with Archbishop George Carey of Canterbury, and the representative of the Ecumenical Patriarch, Metropolitan Athanasius of Constantinople, pushed open the Holy Door.

The value of ecumenical work is now widely accepted. Of course the challenge is to have it pervade all that the Church does and is. A lot of prominence is now given to spiritual ecumenism, meaning a change of heart, and holiness of life along with public and private prayer for the unity of Christians. That is regarded as the soul of the ecumenical movement.

On March 12 last year Pope John Paul presided at a solemn act of pardon at St Peter’s Basilica. He led the Catholic Church in an act of confession and repentance so that “humbly viewing the sins of the past in an authentic purification of memory we will be committed to that path of true conversion”. I believe that this is the challenge for all of us.

I have spoke of spiritual ecumenism, which must find expression in practical ecumenism. Practical ecumenism means bringing an attitude of personal conversion to the fore as a basis for ecumenical co-operation in social and charitable areas. There are numerous examples of practical ecumenism at work in many parts of Ireland. This conference is one such example. Everyone will be able to call to mind many others. Since we are in the Diocese of Derry one comes to my mind at once. At the time of that atrocity three years ago, the Omagh Bombing, the co-operation and joint pastoral care among the clergy of all denominations, was very evident and effective. It happened because the churches in Omagh already had a Church Forum which took responsibility for the pastoral needs of the community at that time. I have seen examples of similar co-operation between chaplains of hospitals and prisons, which indicate that practical ecumenism is at work. In every diocese there are examples of joint prayer groups and study groups, cross community social actions groups, which do excellent work.

ECUMENICAL CHARTER

Last Easter 250 official delegates gathered for an ecumenical meeting in Strasbourg which had as its theme, “I am with you always, yes to the end of time”. They represented the Conference of European Churches (KEK) and the Council of European Episcopal Conferences (CCEE). There were also 100 young people present. The meeting was in the spirit of two previous ecumenical assemblies, Basle (1989) and Graz (1997). The message from that meeting in Strasbourg was that we are firmly resolved to preserve and develop the fellowship that has grown up among us. We give thanks to God for guiding our steps towards an ever-deeper fellowship through the Holy Spirit.

One of the main characteristics of the meeting was the presence of young people, equal in number to the Church Leaders. Because of their age they grew up in a period and atmosphere already characterised by ecumenical sensitivity. Unlike previous generations they are less liable to feel the burden and baggage of history. That’s why many of them find it difficult to understand and tolerate divisions among Christians. They enter the process of reconciliation with great reason and newness.

The high point of the meeting was the signing of an ecumenical charter. It gives guidelines for the growing co-operation of the Churches in Europe. The charter is the first historical document of this kind and was written under the joint responsibility of KEK and CCEE. The Charter begins by confessing one holy Catholic and apostolic Church and acknowledges that our one paramount task is to show forth this unity which is only the gift of God. It goes on to state that fundamental differences are still barriers to Christian unity, but that we must not be satisfied with this situation. We intend to do our utmost to overcome the problems and obstacles which still divide the churches. We committed ourselves to following the call of the Letter to the Ephesians to “make every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you are called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all and within all” (4:36).

These are some of the signs of hope of Christina Unity. There are many others. For all of them we give thanks and praise. Let us go forward, with new enthusiasm on the path to full unity. Christ travels this road with us. To him be glory for ever and ever.

DIAMOND JUBILEE
CARDINAL CAHAL B. DALY
ST PATRICK’S GRAMMAR SCHOOL, ARMAGH
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 27, 2001

Your Eminence, Bishop Clifford, fellow priests. Three words – Welcome, Congratulations and Thanks.
I welcome Your Eminence and all the other Jubilarians here this evening. You know Your Eminence that you are always welcome back here to Armagh and that we are always delighted to see you. We are particularly delighted to see you on this happy occasion, the occasion of the Diamond Jubilee of your ordination to the priesthood. It is good that you have been able to come and give us the opportunity of praising God with you and of thanking God with you for the gift of the priesthood of Jesus Christ to His Church, for the gift of 60 years of priesthood to you and to Canon Desmond Campbell and to Canon Michael Ward and of 50 years to Fr Tony Lambe and of 25 years to Fr Seamus McGinley, Fr Martin McVeigh and Fr Christy McElwee. Yes, it is good for all of us to be here.

Congratulations to each one of you Jubilarians. We gladly share the joy of this Jubilee with you. This evening we celebrate and rejoice in the fidelity of a faithful God; a God who gives the grace and the strength to be faithful to commitments made; a God who never fails to keep the promises that have been made; a God who always has new gifts to offer. This evening we rejoice in the grace of priesthood. We try and relive and evoke the sense of wonder and awe which each one of us felt as we rose from the feet of the Bishop who ordained us and contemplated the fact that we were a priest, a priest for ever, according the order of Melchisedech.

Finally, many thanks to all of you for accepting the invitation to be here. Thanks to the Jubilarians for allowing us to join with them in the expression of gratitude for graces received personally and for the graces conveyed through them to the people whom it is such a privilege to serve and to help.

Your Eminence, thank you for your outstanding talk on St Thérèse which did so much to create the special atmosphere of prayer and peace and recollection which were the hallmarks of the visit of her relics to Armagh.

Our prayer this evening is, for all our Jubilarians that God may continue to bless them and preserve them and protect them and guide them. Our prayer is for priests everywhere but especially for the priests chosen by God to serve in this Archdiocese. We rejoice in the ordination of Fr Eugene O’Neill and joyfully look forward to the ordination of Paul Montague on Sunday next. We ask God to watch over our seminarians and to inspire others to follow in their footsteps.

My hope is that our ceremony this evening will help each one of us to realise ever more clearly the privilege it is to be a priest, the strength which we can and should give to each other in the face of challenges and to realise the holiness to which we are called and to which we are called to lead other people.

Let us place all of ourselves and all our attentions, but especially our Jubilarians, under the protection and patronage of Mary, our Mother and the Mother of the one Great High Priest, Jesus Christ, as I ask Your Eminence to lead us in this Holy Eucharist.

DEATH OF CARDINAL THOMAS WINNING
STATEMENT BY
DR SEÁN BRADY
ARCHBISHOP OF ARMAGH

18 JUNE, 2001
I am deeply saddened by the death of Cardinal Winning of Glasgow. His death came as a great shock at a time when we were still coming to terms with the news of his heart attack one week ago.

Cardinal Winning will be greatly missed as a person of deep faith and total commitment to the care of his people. His lively wit and warm friendship endeared him to those who knew him.

He was a courageous leader who worked tirelessly and fearlessly in the service of the Church.
I offer sympathy to his family and to the priests and Catholic people of Glasgow and of Scotland on their great loss. May he rest in peace.

GOLDEN JUBILEE MASS
OF BISHOP FRANCIS McKIERNAN
CATHEDRAL OF ST. PATRICK AND ST. FELIM, CAVAN
7 JUNE, 2001
ADDRESS BY CARDINAL SEÁN BRADY

Now that I have the microphone I am tempted to offer the prayer of the man who fell into the vat of stout in Guinness’s brewery. He prayed, ‘Lord give me a mouth worthy of this glorious opportunity’. However I had better behave myself and simply say that I am sure that every one of us would wish to be associated with those sentiments of Pope John Paul II and to make his words our own on this happy occasion. We are all delighted to have this opportunity of joining with Bishop MacKiernan as he celebrates the Golden Anniversary of his ordination as a priest.

For every Jubilee whether it is of a wedding or of a Religious Profession or of Priestly Ordination is in reality a celebration of the fidelity of God. Tonight we give thanks to God, to a faithful God, for the help and blessings and grace, which has been given so generously to Bishop MacKiernan over the last fifty years. This we do gladly and joyfully, for we in turn have benefited in so many different ways from his generous ministry, whether as priest or pastor, teacher or mentor, counsellor or friend.

What makes this evening so special is the fact that the guest of honour is someone whom we know very well, whom we admire very much and who holds a special place in the affection and esteem of so many people.

Bishop Frank, I know that the other Bishops of the country would want me to express to you their warmest congratulations on this joyful occasion. This I gladly do in their name and on my own behalf.

It is now some 49 years since I first met the then Fr MacKiernan. He was in St. Patrick’s College, for the second time, I, for the first – he as teacher, I as student. I was counting up last night the names of those of us who shared that year together. There are not many left but they are: Fr Jim Carroll, Fr Colm Hurley, Fr Joe Dolan, Fr Paddy Sullivan, Fr Ray Brady, Fr Donal Hannon, Fr John Cusack, Fr Thomas Woods, and Fr John Quinn.

I know it is very fashionable now to look back and belittle the days of our schooling and the way we were educated. But I want to say that I feel no such desire. As I grow older I appreciate more and more all that so many people did so generously for us.

Bishop Frank, tonight I want to thank God for the example you set before us then, and ever since, of how to live as a priest. That is, a life spent in the service of others, for the love of God and of neighbour and not for one’s own glory but for the glory of God’s Kingdom. It is all so easily said but not so easily achieved. However, tonight in his homily, Bishop McKiernan has indicated something of how it was achieved in his case and due so much to the grace of God. I want to thank God for the wisdom of your counsel, the strength of your friendship and kindness, your concern and your hospitality, extended so graciously and so constantly to your priests and to your people, especially in times of sickness and of trouble. I want to thank you for your excellent steady leadership, your commitment and your dedication to the genuine well being of this diocese.

Before we leave this Cathedral of St. Patrick and St. Felim on this holy occasion, I want you to join with me in fervent prayer that God may give to Bishop McKiernan good health and strength for many long years to enable him to continue to convey to people everywhere – but especially here in his beloved Kilmore – the warmth of his friendship and of his encouragement. They are in fact signs of the living kindness of Christ himself.

I thank Bishop Leo for the kind invitation to be present at this celebration and to share in the jubilation of this happy time.

To our illustrious Jubilarian I say – Faoi Brath Mhuire thú í gconaí.

GOLDEN JUBILEE MASS
OF BISHOP FRANCIS McKIERNAN
CATHEDRAL OF ST. PATRICK AND ST. FELIM, CAVAN
7 JUNE, 2001
ADDRESS BY CARDINAL SEÁN BRADY

Now that I have the microphone I am tempted to offer the prayer of the man who fell into the vat of stout in Guinness’s brewery. He prayed, ‘Lord give me a mouth worthy of this glorious opportunity’. However I had better behave myself and simply say that I am sure that every one of us would wish to be associated with those sentiments of Pope John Paul II and to make his words our own on this happy occasion. We are all delighted to have this opportunity of joining with Bishop MacKiernan as he celebrates the Golden Anniversary of his ordination as a priest.

For every Jubilee whether it is of a wedding or of a Religious Profession or of Priestly Ordination is in reality a celebration of the fidelity of God. Tonight we give thanks to God, to a faithful God, for the help and blessings and grace, which has been given so generously to Bishop MacKiernan over the last fifty years.

This we do gladly and joyfully, for we in turn have benefited in so many different ways from his generous ministry, whether as priest or pastor, teacher or mentor, counsellor or friend.

What makes this evening so special is the fact that the guest of honour is someone whom we know very well, whom we admire very much and who holds a special place in the affection and esteem of so many people.

Bishop Frank, I know that the other Bishops of the country would want me to express to you their warmest congratulations on this joyful occasion. This I gladly do in their name and on my own behalf.

It is now some 49 years since I first met the then Fr MacKiernan. He was in St. Patrick’s College, for the second time, I, for the first – he as teacher, I as student. I was counting up last night the names of those of us who shared that year together. There are not many left but they are: Fr Jim Carroll, Fr Colm Hurley, Fr Joe Dolan, Fr Paddy Sullivan, Fr Ray Brady, Fr Donal Hannon, Fr John Cusack, Fr Thomas Woods, and Fr John Quinn.

I know it is very fashionable now to look back and belittle the days of our schooling and the way we were educated. But I want to say that I feel no such desire. As I grow older I appreciate more and more all that so many people did so generously for us.

Bishop Frank, tonight I want to thank God for the example you set before us then, and ever since, of how to live as a priest. That is, a life spent in the service of others, for the love of God and of neighbour and not for one’s own glory but for the glory of God’s Kingdom. It is all so easily said but not so easily achieved.
However, tonight in his homily, Bishop McKiernan has indicated something of how it was achieved in his case and due so much to the grace of God. I want to thank God for the wisdom of your counsel, the strength of your friendship and kindness, your concern and your hospitality, extended so graciously and so constantly to your priests and to your people, especially in times of sickness and of trouble. I want to thank you for your excellent steady leadership, your commitment and your dedication to the genuine well being of this diocese.

Before we leave this Cathedral of St. Patrick and St. Felim on this holy occasion, I want you to join with me in fervent prayer that God may give to Bishop McKiernan good health and strength for many long years to enable him to continue to convey to people everywhere – but especially here in his beloved Kilmore – the warmth of his friendship and of his encouragement. They are in fact signs of the living kindness of Christ himself.

I thank Bishop Leo for the kind invitation to be present at this celebration and to share in the jubilation of this happy time.

To our illustrious Jubilarian I say – Faoi Brath Mhuire thú í gconaí.

VISIT OF THE RELICS OF ST THÉRÈSE OF LISIEUX
TO
OUR LADY OF LOURDES, MEDICAL MISSIONARIES OF MARY
DROGHEDA
21 MAY 2001
HOMILY BY CARDINAL SEÁN BRADY

Thank God for this visit of the relics of St. Thérèse to our country, to our diocese, to the town of Drogheda and to the Medical Missionaries of Mary. It is a sign that God is granting Thérèse her wish, which she expressed in one of her final conversations when she said, “I want to spend my heaven in doing good on earth”.

Already we have seen the good that is being done – people taking time to come and visit. People getting to know more about this most popular of saints by reading the story of her life. People going to Confession and seeking pardon for their sins. People asking St. Thérèse to intercede with the Father for us. We pray that her message – that God reveals the secrets of His life to those who become like little children – we pray that, that message may become more widely known and accepted.

I have heard people asking these days, what do we mean when we say that St. Thérèse is a Doctor of the Church. Obviously she is not a medical doctor, although her intercession and her merits can indeed produce a healing of mind and soul. A Doctor of the Church is someone who has something to teach us about God and about our relationship with God. In 1997 Pope John Paul II declared St. Thérèse’s life and teaching to be worthy of imitation. He said that through her life and writing Thérèse had made the Gospel shine out with great appeal and great attraction for the people of our time.

It is well known that within a few years of her death – through the influence of her own life story entitled The Story of a Soul – Thérèse inspired the faith of countless thousands. Many soldiers, especially during the First World War, turned to her in prayer for help.

Now the basic facts of her life are easily told. Born in Normandy in France in 1873, Thérèse was the ninth child of Louis and Zelie Martin. Four of the children died in infancy or early childhood. Their mother died of breast cancer when Thérèse was four and half years old. Their father was an outstanding Christian. He made sure that his family was brought up in the practice and knowledge of their faith. Probably one effect of her mother’s early death was that Thérèse was shy and very sensitive. Her schooldays were not happy as she was constantly bullied by an older girl.

Gradually Thérèse regained her self-confidence and reached the conclusion that she was being called by God to enter religious life. She showed her strong will in her persistent pleading with the Church authorities, even with the Pope, that she be allowed to enter despite the fact that she was too young.

She got her way and entered the Carmelite Convent at Lisieux when she was fifteen, where she spent the remaining nine years of her short life. It was a life of obscurity, behind the walls of the convent, following out the routine of the Carmelite Order. It was a life dedicated to prayer and reading and to work. It was a life of enduring with patience, the many trials and sufferings that came her way, but trying to do all things with love. She became ill with tuberculosis and died peacefully on September 30, 1897 at the age of twenty-four.

The fact that she said she wanted to spend her heaven doing good on earth, shows that she understood very clearly the three different states of the Church. At the present time, some of the followers of Christ, like ourselves for instance, are pilgrims here on earth. Others have died and are being purified. Still others are saints in glory, contemplating God in full life. Because the saints are more closely united to Christ, they do not cease to intercede. They are interceding all the time on our behalf. They offer the merits, which they acquired here on earth, to God, on our behalf. Thérèse was quite clear that the love, which Christ has for each one of us, is the source in us, of all our merits before God. Like a child she asked everything from God.

She believed firmly in the immense love which God has for each one of us and which was revealed in Jesus Christ. Thérèse believed deeply that God desires, despite our many faults and failings, to draw us into His love and to shower us with the fruits of that love. She thought often and long about the death of Christ on the cross. She came to see that God was calling her to respond to that love. She said, “In the end we will be judged on love alone”. Another time she said, “the Church must have a heart, a heart burning with love. This love alone is the true force which enables all the other members of the Church to act. Love in fact is THE vocation which includes all others”. “Lord” she prayed on one occasion “I want to work for your love alone. In the evening of this life” she said, “I shall appear before you with empty hands for I do not ask you, Lord, to count my works. I wish them to be clothed in your own justice and to receive from your love, the eternal possession of yourself. I have come to understand this” she said, “without love, all works are nothing else”.

It would be a great mistake to give the impression that for Thérèse, her faith was always clear. For years it was so and she says that for years she simply could not understand how anyone could be an atheist. But all of that was to change. About a year and a half before her death, her dark night of faith began. The foundations of her faith were shaken. All the joy and peace that she used to have in believing, vanished.

She described the experience in these words, “Jesus allowed me to experience for myself that there really are souls who have no faith, or have lost the faith. He allowed my soul to be covered with the thickest darkness and let the thoughts of heaven, which had always been my joy, become instead a cause of nothing but strain and torment”. Thérèse compared the experience to a journey through a dark tunnel, a tunnel which continued without relief or ray of light. It was to continue during the last months of her life, until her death. She describes this darkness as if it were mocking at her faith and hope. “There is no beyond” the voice seemed to say, “there is nothing beyond”. She was tempted to believe that one day the scientists would be able to explain it all away.

Thérèse’s answer to difficulties in prayer was to keep on praying. “For me” she said, “prayer is a surge of the heart. It is a simple look towards heaven. It is a cry of recognition and of love, which embraces both trial and joy”.

In the same way her answer to difficulties in faith was to keep on believing. She once wrote out the Creed in blood. Her desire was to live her faith through tears and troubles. She came to see that faith is a commitment of the whole person, which lies beyond seeing or feeling. “I have made more acts of faith in the past weeks” she said “than during the rest of my life”.

Lots of people are tempted like that, to give up their faith or to believe that faith is useless. May St Thérèse help them and all of us, to believe more firmly.
AMEN