Inter Church Tributes to Primate; Support for NI Green Party motion on equal marriage; Music; Covenant marked; Churches urged to say they support referendum; Appeal for peaceful Belfast parade; Stormont institutional child abuse inquiry begins in October
Inter Church Tributes to Primate
The Most Revd Alan Harper, retiring Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland, joined members of the Irish Inter Church Committee yesterday, Thursday 27 September, in Dundalk for their quarterly meeting. Members spoke with warmth of the Archbishop’s contribution to ecumenism and wished him every blessing in his retirement.
‘Your ministry was was typified by gentleness, humility and fairness. You listened and helped others to learn how to listen. You shaped the tone of the discussion and allowed all sides to be heard. This set you part from the cacophony of voices that often mark political and social dialogue in Ireland,’ said Fr Godfrey O’Donnell, President of the ICC.
Dr Donald Watts, Clerk of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland and ICC Vice President spoke of Archbishop Harper’s diplomacy and his fine–tuned ability to enable churches to work together. He has made an ‘immense contribution to church and civil society at a time of social transition when leadership was needed,’ he said, and continued to say that he was able to ‘say the hard things in a gentle way’ and had a ‘powerful intellect’ that will be missed.
Gillian Kingston, Lay Leader of the Methodist Church in Ireland, described the Archbishop as a ‘model of grace’ and as a ‘truly gifted preacher’ who had greatly influenced the Methodist–Anglican covenant.
Bishop Tony Farquhar spoke of Archbishop Harper being ‘the same man when he was a curate as he is now as an Archbishop,’ going on to say that he always brought ‘qualities of gentleness and humility and was characterised by his deep sensitivity’ to others. ‘He was a joy to work with and showed us all how to walk humbly with our God,’ the bishop concluded.
Support for Green Party motion on equal marriage
Canon Charles Kenny of the Church of Ireland and the Revd Chris Hudson of All Souls Non-Subscribing Presbyterian Church conveyed their strong support for equal marriage in their meeting at Stormont on Thursday (27th September) with the Green Party MLA Steven Agnew who has tabled a motion for same sex marriage in the Northern Ireland Assembly to be debated next Monday (Oct 1st)
Canon Kenny, the Secretary of the Church of Ireland group Changing Attitude Ireland said:
“Loud disapproval from church spokesmen often greets any suggestion that same sex couples have a right to the same respect, security and legal entitlements enjoyed by male-female couples. But such critics by no means speak for all church people.
“There are also many Christians who recognise that loving relationships can obtain between persons of the same sex, who feel that nearly all human beings can be called to relationships of “mutual society, help and comfort that the one ought to have of the other…” (as the Book of Common Prayer puts it), that any truly loving relationship is pleasing to God.
“We call on Church people to forego the fundamentalist biblicist argument that led us astray in the past and not to confuse the authority of the Bible with its interpretation.
“Behind the denial to a gay or lesbian couple of the right to marry is the belief that their relationship is inferior to a heterosexual one, and objectionable in itself. This we believe to be a cultural assumption rather than a divine instruction. We suggest that in the foreseeable future objectors to same sex marriage will be seen in the same light as those who until fairly recently opposed mixed-race marriage.”
Music
Today there will be a lunchtime recital in Christ Church cathedral, Dublin, by the pianist Raymond Tedders. In the evening the newly in stalled organ in St Lasarian’s cathedral, Old Leighlin, will be dedicated . This will be followed by a short organ recital and there will be music from the Lasarian Consort and Cathedral Choir directed by Mark Duley.
On Friday in St Macartin’s cathedral, Enniskillen there will be an organ recital by Ian Keatley, Organist and Director of Music in Christ Church cathedral, Dublin, as part of a Clogher Diocesan Celebration of Music.
Covenant marked
In St Fin Barre’s cathedral, Cork, the tenth anniversary of the Covenant between the Church of Ireland and the Methodist Church in Ireland will be celebrated at Evensong tomorrow.
Churches urged to say they support referendum
Irish Times – Minister for Finance Michael Noonan has urged churches in Ireland to publicly support the referendum on children’s rights. Speaking during the debate on the legislation to allow the referendum take place on November 10th, Mr Noonan said “so far the …
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2012/0927/1224324470220.html
Appeal for peaceful Belfast parade
Irish Examiner – Recent tensions have focused on the behaviour of bandsmen outside St Patrick’s Church on Donegall St in the north of the city. But parade organisers have pledged to ensure the section of the route passes off … Now the Northern Ireland Committee of …
http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/appeal-for-peaceful-belfast-parade-568485.html
Fighting to stay British: The strange history of the Ulster Covenant
BBC News – The event that triggered that crisis – the signing of the Ulster Covenant – took place just 100 years ago, on 28 September 1912. The centenary is being marked with exhibitions, parades and church services across Northern Ireland. The Ulster Covenant was an oath in defiance of the British Government, signed by nearly a quarter of a million men of Ulster, Ireland’s northernmost province.
But it was no breakaway movement. On the contrary, they wanted Ulster to remain part of the United Kingdom and were prepared to fight to keep it there.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-politics-19718680
Stormont institutional child abuse inquiry begins in October
BBC News – A Stormont inquiry into institutional child abuse in Northern Ireland is to begin work on 1 October. It will examine the extent of child abuse in Catholic church and state-run institutions in Northern Ireland.It followed the damning Ryan Report in the Irish Republic which uncovered decades of endemic abuse in some religious institutions.
The inquiry, announced in December 2010, will begin with a registration scheme for those who want to take part.
On Wednesday, the chairman of the abuse inquiry said he was not in favour of extending the inquiry’s remit beyond institutions.
Sir Anthony Hart told the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister (OFMDFM) committee that changing its terms of reference to include foster care, schools or families would require a complete restructuring of the inquiry.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-1973248