Ecumenical clergy blasted ......
Belfast Church of Ireland rector the Rev. William Hoey has
praised the stand taken by the rector of Drumcree, the Rev.
John Pickering in the face of criticism from ecumenical clergy
in the church. And Ulster Unionist deputy leader John Taylor
has also hit out at a call by some Church of Ireland clerics,
that Rev. Pickering and his Select Vestry should deny the
Orange Order entry into the church in future years.
The Church of Ireland Catalyst group issued the call in a
letter, reported to be signed by 160 ordained clergy. But
Rev. Pickering said it was interesting that approximately
680 ordained clergy in the Church of Ireland did not sign
the letter.
"From that I can only assume they have an understanding
of the Drumcree situation and reject the call in the letter,"
said Rev. Pickering.
Rev. Pickering pointed out that members of his own Select
Vestry would be caught up in any move to ban the Portadown
District from the annual July service.
The result would be to slam the door on many of his own parishioners
who are Orangemen - including at least two members of the
Select Vestry.
At last year's Easter Vestry meeting, the church elected
two men who also happened to be leading Orangemen - one a
former District Chaplain and the other prominent in organising
the annual parade service.
Said Rev. Pickering "Drumcree isn't unique in that.
Every Church of Ireland church has prominent Orangemen in
their parish and they are valuable members of the church.
"However, the main reason for rejecting the call to
prevent Orangemen entering the church is that nobody can be
denied the right to a service to worship Almighty God. I want
to state clearly that I will never deny the right of worship
to any person, including any member of the Orange Order.
"Let there be no doubt that morning prayer will be held
on the Sunday before July 12 every year as it is held every
Sunday."
Rev. Pickering said that the Catalyst group simply did not
understand the situation at Drumcree, adding it was regrettable
that they did not consult him before issuing the letter which
was sent to all ordained clergy of the Church of Ireland.
The Rev. William Hoey, rector of St. Simon's Parish Church
and Chaplain of Ballynafeigh District L.O.L. No.10, said of
the Catalyst group; "We know some of the names, like
Bishops Empey and Neill, with others like Kenny, Stewart and
Fitzpatrick, but I wonder will the rest of the members of
this group have the courage to come out into the open and
let us know who they are?
"I believe these people have lost their way. They are
so wrapped up in a false ecumenism that they have forsaken
the teaching of the Word of God, upon which the doctrines
and teaching of the Church of Ireland is based.
"I would ask these clerics in the group to read again
the ordination service and the vows they made, together with
Ezekiel 33 and 34 to see what the Lord says about false shepherds.
"I have already been told that our Articles of Religion
are more or less no longer relevant since they were written
in a different age and situation.
"So I can guess what they will say about the Old Testament
Scriptures written even hundreds of years before our 39 Articles."
Bro. Hoey added, "The Church of Ireland seems to be
terminally ill and one has only to read the nonsense of the
Catalyst group to see where the cancer really is.
"However, it is refreshing and heartening to know that
the Lord hasn't forsaken us altogether yet, in that He raised
up a man like the Rector of Drumcree.
"I can only praise the Lord and say 'God Bless John
Pickering' and encourage him to continue to 'stand fast in
the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not
entangled again with the yoke of bondage'."
Ulster Unionist deputy leader John Taylor said the campaign
by Dublin Archbishop Walton Empey and his colleagues against
the Orange service in Drumcree compared unfavourably with
the lead given by the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Armagh,
Dr. Sean Brady.
At the time his church members were intent on blocking the
Orangemen from returning home from their annual Church of
Ireland service in Drumcree, Dr. Brady immediately went to
the Garvaghy Road to identify himself with his people and
held a service in the local Roman Catholic Church.
Mr. Taylor said in contrast, the Church of Ireland Archbishop
of Dublin campaigned to exclude Orangemen from Drumcree Parish
Church.
"He implies segregation at the Church door where Orangemen
would be stopped from entering the Sunday service but others
would be welcome," said Mr. Taylor.
"Not Christianity in my opinion but then, as Tony Benn
said this week, sometimes we do find Christians in the churches."
Mr. Taylor said the debate within the Church of Ireland required
to be widened. It might be that the existing structures of
the Church of Ireland required review.
Was it right, he asked, that the minority membership of the
church in Eire should dictate to the majority membership of
the Church of Ireland in Northern Ireland.
"Should a Bishop for 20,000 souls have more influence
than a Bishop for 100,000 souls? The time has come for the
Church of Ireland to be more representative of its membership
so that it is no longer a case of the tail wagging the dog"
said Mr. Taylor.
He said the intervention of the Archbishop of Dublin in Northern
Ireland invited people here to examine the role and success
or otherwise of Church of Ireland leaders in the Republic.
"That they have presided over a declining church is
a matter of concern. Perhaps position and privilege have been
maintained at the cost of failing to bring Christ to the people
of the Republic," he said.
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