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Reports from Gregg Ryan NEW COUNCIL FOR
THEOLOGICAL COLLEGE HOUSE
OF BISHOPS ADDRESSES CHILDREN AND COMMUNION STANDING
COMMITTEE CALLS FOR BUILDING OF TRUST The Report of the Church of
Ireland Standing Committee highlighted the broad spectrum of issues
that it had covered over the past year. The Standing Committee has
the responsibility of representing the Church of Ireland General
Synod throughout the year, taking decisions and adopting policies on
behalf of the Church as required. Communication, Christian
Unity, International debt, synodical reform and the building of
trust were just some of the issues highlighted by Archdeacon Ken
Good in his proposing speech. Archdeacon Good highlighted
the progress made towards Christian Unity through the Reuilly
Declaration, an important agreement between the British and Irish
Anglican churches and the French Lutheran and Reformed Churches. "This is another sign of
our awareness that the Church of Christ must stretch out hands of
fellowship across denominational and international boundaries"
he said. The Standing Committee Report also highlighted the substantial increase in monies given and allocated by the Bishops' Appeal in 1999 for world development. Grants of over £416,000 were distributed through local agencies having a worldwide impact including over £200,000 for Kosovo. CHURCH OF IRELAND TO LAUNCH NEW HYMNBOOK The Church of Ireland will launch
a new hymnbook at St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin on Saturday 9
September 2000. The new hymnbook will include over 700 hymns, some
old, some new combining the best of the past with all that is new in
music for worship. Archbishop Eames paid tribute to
the Church of Ireland Hymnal Revision Committee and in particular to
its Chairman, Bishop Edward Darling. He said the committee "has
worked long and hard to produce hymns which I hope will soon become
a real and living aspect of our worship throughout the Church of
Ireland." The Report of the Hymnal Revision
Committee will come before General Synod on Wednesday. ARCHBISHOP
EAMES CALLS FOR END TO TERROR IN IRELAND Over 500 lay and clerical
delegates arrived in Belfast this morning for the opening of the
Church of Ireland General Synod 2000 on a bright and warm day. The
main business of the morning session was the Presidential Address by
the Most Rev Dr Robin Eames, Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All
Ireland. Archbishop Eames considered the
role of the Church of Ireland as it enters the new Millennium as
"a church with new forms of worship, new diocesan and central
structures and new forms of parish ministry." He also
highlighted the growing understanding between the Irish Christian
traditions. The Primate also noted the recent
political developments in Ireland and the speed at which events have
taken place. "The real issues are to do
with pluralism, living with diversity and inclusiveness. Trust has
been the real casualty of Irish history. Tribalism, sectarianism and
fear have for too long marred the lives of our people. Both Unionist
and nationalist need confidence building measures - but they need
them in equal measure" he said. He also called for an end to
terrorism in Ireland and called on paramilitary organisations to
turn to political rather than violent means of expressing political
objectives. " An end, once and for all, to all terrorism is
essential to progress in Ireland. The time for terror is over. The
time for peace is here." The Archbishop also paid tribute
to the Bishop of Limerick and Killaloe, Bishop Edward Darling, who
will retire later this year. "Since 1985 he has provided the
most faithful episcopal leadership and ministry to the clergy and
people of Limerick and Killaloe. At a central level we have depended
so much on his love for and expertise in music. The production of
our new hymnbook owes much to his expertise and knowledge." The Archbishop of Armagh called
for a vision of the future concluding that "the future beckons
us to be the Church of Christ with confidence and love." BISHOP
MILLER CALLS FOR PRAYERFUL SUPPORT FOR POLITICAL DECISION MAKERS CHURCH VOTES FOR REFORM OF GENERAL SYNOD The Report of the
Synodical Structures Working Group which was considered by the
Church of Ireland General Synod today, has been passed by a
significant majority. The Working Group
was established under the Standing Committee by General Synod last
year to consider ways in which the size and representation of
General Synod, which meets annually, could be reformed. Proposals in
the report, which will be brought before General Synod next year as
legislation, include each diocese being represented by 20% of its
clergy and the ratio of two laity for each clerical representative
remaining. It has also been proposed that elections for membership
of General Synod be carried out by proportional representation. In seconding the
report, Mr Denzil Auchmuty from the Diocese of Tuam focused on the
issues surrounding a smaller Synod that the proposals would create.
He asked if General Synod at present was fully representative and
whether its members were able to participate fully in debate. “Whatever about
the mix of representation in the seats of a Synod, democracy works
best when the level of participation is high and representative”
he said. He noted that
attendance figures demonstrate that almost a third of members did
not attend General synod during the past three years. He also argued
that a smaller General Synod would encourage better participation in
debate. In concluding, he
acknowledged that by voting for reform, members might be considered
as turkeys voting for Christmas! However, he believed that the
mature men and women of General Synod would make the right decision
to meet the needs of the Church in the 21st Century. The final
voting on the report was 203 for and 150 against. C
o I Bishops propose child communion by Gregg Ryan Bishop Richard Clarke of Meath and Kildare told the
Synod in Belfast on Monday that the House of Bishops will next year
propose a rubric which will alter the current discipline requiring
children to be confirmed before being admitted to the Holy
Communion. Bishop Clarke noted that the issue had been debated
since the late 1980s without resolution. In 1991 a select
committee had been formed by Synod ‘to examine the theological,
pastoral and practical implications of changing the present
discipline of the Church of Ireland so as to permit those who are
baptised but not yet confirmed to receive Holy Communion.’ Unable to reach a consensus on the matter, the
committee was stood down after several years work. Last year, a private member’s motion was brought
forward requesting the House of Bishops to revisit the matter and
offer guidance and leadership.
The bishops, in a communication read to Synod on Monday,
outlined their conclusions and noted that although traditionally
children did not receive the Eucharist until after they were
confirmed, there was no doctrinal impediment to their doing so. The House of Bishops has concluded that Baptism is
the starting point for all deliberations on the issue; the sacrament points
to confirmation and also to the receiving of Holy Communion, but
does not of itself imply a particular sequence to these events. Concerning a change in the existing practice, the
House of Bishops notes: “There may well be cultural or pastoral
reasons why this may seem inexpedient in certain settings within the
Church of Ireland. The
church is however having to live
with diversity in this area today, particularly in situations
where inter-church families have an active involvement in the
worship of our Church, or where there are families with familiar
with different Anglican
disciplines in the matter.
We would wish that this diversity be acknowledged and, if
possible, given a proper structure.” Changing
the current position will require the replacement of the present
rubric with a new version.
“It is intended in Baptism, that those who have been
baptised will be confirmed. They may, however, be admitted to the Holy Communion
prior to Confirmation.” General Synod will debate the proposed legislation
next year. The
Bishops have pointed out that education would be a key factor in the
advancement of the proposal. “We would emphasise that this principle would always presuppose a full understanding of the nature of the Sacrament, and would equally demand adequate teaching, spiritual nurture and pastoral care of the children of the Church.” Eames presidential address - Make haste slowly to achieve change by Gregg Ryan The
reconciliation between communities in Northern Ireland will remain
just an aspiration if people do not genuinely desire to be
reconciled, the Irish Primate, Dr. Eames, told the General Synod in
his opening address in Belfast n Monday. He cautioned
both the British and Irish governments that patience would be
required to bring about changes in the hearts and minds of people on
both sides of the religious and political divides which had been
ingrained for generations. The speed of
political development has been amazing but contains the danger of
expecting acceptance of profound change at an equal pace. “There are issues which must be dealt with quickly,
but society needs to remember that it takes time for mind-sets
conditioned by generational attitudes to alter.” “While
change is essential to answer the ills of yesterday the removal of
alienation on the part of one community by the creation of feelings
of alienation on the part of another community will never be the
basis of that stability or peace.
Of course a price must be paid and a majority here within and
without the Church of Ireland are prepared for this price, but the
most careful and sensitive balance is essential between the
perceived burdens of change to be carried by both northern
communities.” Dr. Eames
said that at the centre of any process of community reconciliation
lay the key issue of how change is managed. “Those who have come
to terms with the bitterness of the past and the depth of their or
their family’s hurt have shown great courage and in many cases
deep Christian faith. But
if this society cannot collectively learn to manage not just change but the ways in which it
deals with its memories, reconciliation will remain a vision only.” Referring to
the Belfast Agreement, he said:
“No agreement in the world can achieve reconciliation if
people do not want to be reconciled.” In a clear
message to all the paramilitaries, republican and loyalist, he said: “There is no other
way under God to reach true understanding if we cannot move forward
acknowledging that the past is over.
We can never forget – nor are we asked to do so. But the past is the
past and the whole of this society needs to be sure that all of
those memories can be left behind it.
That is why behind and beyond the well-known arguments lies
the longing for reassurance that the violence is a thing of the
past. There are
many ways in which that assurance can be given, and received. But such reassurance
has got to be the bedrock of any move forwards.” He called on
loyalist paramilitaries to move on the decommissioning issue. “The recent response to political proposals by the
IRA represents radical change when viewed from within Irish
republicanism. But
there are other paramilitary organizations in the equation. We look for movement
from loyalist sources as well.
An end once and for all to terrorism is an essential to
progress in Ireland. The
time for terror is over.
The time for peace is here.” Calling for
clarification of the intentions of the paramilitaries and the
promises recently made by the IRA to ‘put arms beyond use’, the
Primate said: “In
Irish history a conflict has smouldered for generations. At times it has burst
out into a raging fire. Is
it therefore any wonder that people in this generation yearn for
clear and definite evidence that violence has no place in quelling
the embers of our age-old differences?” Referring to
the huge scandals involving bribe-taking and political corruption in
the Irish Republic, and the refugee problems facing both
jurisdictions in Ireland, Dr. Eames said courage was needed to make
the Christian voice heard. “In the
Republic, public scandals, the misuse of power and privilege, the
corrosive emergence of evidence of racism and the injustice of
poverty questions the qualities and advantages for society of the
onward march of the Celtic Tiger.
The serious issues of asylum and the principles which should
underline true pluralism demand a hearing for the Christian voice. In Northern Ireland
the need to recognise that change carries a great price, that
reconciliation cannot be enforced, that understanding demands
sacrifice and that how we handle memories hold the key to progress
and must have a Christian input.
That voice must be heard from within the Church.” by Gregg Ryan The Church of Ireland has embarked on an action programme to attempt a reversal of the sectarianism which the Standing Committee says is endemic throughout Irish society, north and south. General
Synod, meeting in Belfast, was told on Monday that racism was now
surfacing as the number of immigrants grew through the refugee and
asylum seekers crisis grew. An
education programme ‘Affirming legitimate identity while living
with difference’ has been designed for dioceses and parishes, and
also for the institutional life of the Church of Ireland. The report of the
Sectarianism Steering Group was focussed on ‘the issue of
sectarianism which is such a major feature of life throughout
Ireland’ in an era of rapid change, and at parochial level the
programme would afford opportunities
for individuals to articulate feelings, hopes, visions and fears
concerning identity, loss of identity and tolerance of others which
it is sometimes difficult to express within present patterns of
church. Within
the institutional life of the church, it would help to identify ways
to avoid unwitting sectarian ethos and actions. The
Ven Ken Good, Archdeacon of Dromore, told Synod on Monday that the
usual manifestations of sectarianism were now added to in the
context of non-national immigrants, asylum seekers and ethnic
minority communities. “By
sectarianism we are not referring to a reasonable expression of
Christian conviction or identity but rather a distorted or
destructive manifestation of these, which may lead to negatively
reinforcing boundaries between communities, or resulting in
belittling or demonising others,” he said. “Sectarianism
thrives where there is a lack of trust, and a lack of trust grows
where there is separation, segregation and the avoidance of
meaningful communication.
One of the noticeable aspects of the current political
process is the reality
that those who have traditionally mistrusted each other deeply, have
eventually engaged in real, face to face communication, taken the
trouble and the risk of looking each other in the eye, and listening
to each other speak. What is significant is that it is among those who have
persevered in doing this that the seeds of trust have shown signs of
growth.” Standing
Committee intends setting up six pilot projects involving individual
dioceses as well as proposing twinning of cross-Border dioceses. |
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