THURSDAY'S NEWS

Racism could replace Sectarianism in Northern Ireland
(report courtesy of Rev Gregg Ryan of the Church Times)

The bishop of a cross-Border diocese told the General Synod he feared racism would overtake sectarianism in Northern Ireland where, he said, the problem of sectarianism was “truly massive”.

Bishop Michael Jackson whose Clogher diocese straddles the Republic and the North, was speaking to the scoping study on sectarianism “The Hard Gospel” presented to the Synod.

He said that for many in Northern Ireland the language of human rights is long overdue while many others found it very threatening.

Everyone in the Province is being asked to “grow up socially in such a way that we work effectively for an understanding that goes way beyond tolerance or mere toleration of the other”.

Bishop Jackson said that at a consultation at Stormont, an Algerian atheist had posed the questions “What has your Belfast Agreement to do with me – and where do I fit into your two communities?” The speaker felt that some parts of the Agreement were already out of date with the effect of immigration from other countries to Northern Ireland.

“The fear now is that sectarianism will be succeeded by racism,” he added.

The chairman of the Hard Gospel study group, Dr. Gareth Higgins, said some people had used Drumcree as an excuse for failing to address issues of difference in other areas of Church life. Drumcree was the defining issue for many respondents and it had diverted energy from dealing with sectarianism within the church itself.

The Bishop of Connor, Rt. Revd. Alan Harper, said he could think of nothing which had caused greater pain to the church but it was part of a broader issue, a symptom of what must be overcome.

The report will be circulated to the dioceses who will revert back to the committee with suggestions. The result will be “a flexible strategy for keeping the issue within the life of the church,” he said.

Bishop Harper said sectarianism is incompatible with Christianity and he identified it as the single most high priority issue fore the church to address.

(report courtesy of Rev Gregg Ryan of the Church Times)

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