The Archbishop of Armagh, Most Rev AET Harper has described a recent editorial in the C of I Gazette as “gratuitous” and apologised for it.
The Archbishop’s statement reads;
“I wish to disassociate myself entirely from the sentiments expressed in the most recent Editorial of the Church of Ireland Gazette in respect of the Revd Dr Lesley Carroll and Mr Denis Bradley. The Gazette enjoys complete editorial freedom, but with freedom comes responsibility. The Gazette also claims the name of the Church of Ireland: therefore the Church has a right to expect that opinions offered under a Church of Ireland masthead shall be expressed responsibly and respectfully, especially when referring to named individuals. The personal slight on Dr Carroll and Mr Bradley was gratuitous. I regret that such discourtesy has become associated with the Church of Ireland and apologise to them for it. They are honourable and highly respected people with many friends throughout Ireland and indeed the Church of Ireland.
“The report of the Consultative Group on the Past, which featured in the discussion on BBC Radio Ulster’s Sunday Sequence programme on Sunday 12 June, whether subsequently side-lined or rejected, was a brave and principled attempt by courageous people, including its co-chair, Lord Eames, to provide a foundation for the way in which society in Ireland might begin to address one of the most significant and difficult issues of our time: that of dealing with the painful legacy of the past. The report divided opinion and it has not been followed by substantive action, but personal attacks on members of the CGP team benefit no one.”
The Gazette editorial
The editorial which was dismissive of the Eames-Bradley Consultative Group on the Past (CGP) report, was consistent with the view taken by The Gazette since the publication of the report.
The editorial described the recent appointment of Stormont special adviser Mary McArdle as “insensitive, not only because she had a part in the 1984 murder of the 23-year-old Mary Travers but also because Mary Travers was so brutally attacked coming with her parents, precisely, from Mass.”
It “highlighted again the issue of coming to terms with the past in Northern Ireland”, the editorial said. The editorial referred to a recent BBC Northern Ireland Sunday Sequence programme on which Denis Bradley and the Rev Lesley Carroll of the former consultative group were interviewed.
It noted the Rev Carroll said then “that society had let the CGP’s report ‘sit there’ and stated that if she were doing the report again, she would not do anything differently. Mr Bradley said that increasingly people were now discussing the subject in a more ‘rational’ manner.”
It continued: “Contrary to Lesley Carroll’s view, society has not simply shelved the CGP report. It has rejected it.” Mr Bradley’s “rational” comment was “simply an affront to the public”.
Both “came across on the programme rather as spoilt children who had not got their way,” it said.
The Belfast Telegraph reporting on the occurrence stated :
A Church of Ireland magazine has been slapped down by its own primate after accusing a Presbyterian minister of behaving like a “spoilt child” over the issue of victims.
The Most Reverend Alan Harper has rebuked the Church of Ireland Gazette, saying an editorial attacking Rev Lesley Carroll was discourteous and “gratuitous”.
In a statement, Rev Harper apologised to Rev Carroll and former vice chair of the Policing Board Denis Bradley — who was also disparaged — on behalf of the Church of Ireland.
Rev Harper’s comments are the latest twist in an escalating row which has raised eyebrows in both the Church of Ireland and the Presbyterian Church.
Tensions emerged on Tuesday after the latest edition of the Gazette, edited by Canon Ian Ellis, lambasted the work of the Consultative Group on the Past (CGP) which had tried to find the best way to deal with victims of the Troubles.
Rev Carroll was one of the CGP members who worked on the group’s report alongside its co-authors, former Church of Ireland primate Lord Eames and Mr Bradley.
The report contained 31 proposals on the legacy of the past but was sidelined largely due to a contentious recommendation to compensate victims’ families — including paramilitaries.
Mr Bradley and Rev Carroll defended the report to a BBC programme on Sunday. Saying that the Eames-Bradley report had been dismissed by public consultation, the Gazette said Rev Carroll and Mr Bradley “came across on the programme rather as spoilt children who had not got their way”.
Now Rev Harper has issued a hard-hitting statement against the Gazette. “I wish to disassociate myself entirely from the sentiments expressed,” he said. Rev Harper also addressed the Gazette’s criticism of the CGP.
Canon Ellis issued a statement saying: “This was not a personal attack (on Rev Carroll) and was fair comment upon an issue of considerable public interest.
“The Gazette is well aware of the need to encourage reconciliation and has pointed to last year’s ‘Advice to Government’ of the Commission for Victims and Survivors in its Dealing with the Past document as a good basis for discussion.”
Story so far
Tensions erupted between the Church of Ireland and the Presbyterian Church after the Gazette criticised Reverend Lesley Carroll’s stance on the Eames-Bradley report.
The criticism was surprising given that Rev Carroll worked on the report alongside former Church of Ireland primate Lord Eames. The Presbyterian minister had highlighted the report’s aims in dealing with victims’ issues after the row sparked by the appointment of IRA killer Mary McArdle to a Stormont special adviser’s post. The Gazette criticised Rev Carroll for continuing to push the report, saying she was acting like a “spoilt child”.
The Newsletter reproduced the Gazette editorial in its original format together with a similar extensive report on the matter.
See also report posted this site on June 17 : Official Presbyterian response to C of I Gazette’s ‘spoilt child’ jibe at Presbyterian cleric.