Catholic bishops snub the Eames-Bradley Group
The editor of the Church of Ireland Gazette, Canon Ian Ellis, joined me this morning to discuss the Gazette's 1 February report that Ireland's Catholic bishops are not engaging with the Eames-Bradley Consultative Group on the Past. When i asked him if he regretted the fact that the Catholic bishops were not engaging with the Group, Ellis said: 鈥淚 regret that this situation exists and I hope it may be able to be repaired鈥. He refused to express regret that a Catholic bishops have adopted this stance.
The Consultative Group on the Past, co-chaired by Lord Eames and Denis Bradley, provided us with the following statement in response to the Gazette story.
Statement from the Consultative Group on the Past
Finding ways to deal with our troubled past is one of the greatest challenges facing us all today. It is an issue that goes to the very heart of our society and has affected thousands of people from every walk of life. It is about finding a way to ensure the next generations can live in a peaceful society that is built on mutual respect and understanding. That is what is at stake and we would like to thank everyone who has contributed to our work to achieve that goal.
Over the last five months the Consultative Group has been meeting and listening to hundreds of people to hear their views on how we can deal with this difficult issue. As part of that consultation we have received detailed presentations from the Church of Ireland, Presbyterian Church and Methodist Church.
We have also spoken to the Catholic Church who has told us they are currently working on a reflective paper on dealing with the past. We have been advised that this will be made available to us. We welcome this and look forward to taking it into account as part of our deliberations.
In some of the meetings we have heard concerns about how we were set up and how we are going about our work. We have listened to those concerns and have asked everyone to judge us on our final report. Once again we would like to put on the record that we have not produced an interim report or made decisions on any recommendations.
What we have said is that during our public consultation we have heard the widest range of suggestions on how we can deal with the past. That is only natural from a divided society that has suffered so much over the last forty years. The level of pain and hurt cannot and will not be underestimated.
Over the coming months we will be reflecting on what we have heard and on the written evidence we receive. That is our focus as we begin the difficult task of writing our final report.
Comments
My theory is that the Catholic Bishops are not truly reconciled to the defeat of the IRA terrorist campaign to make NI part of the Irish Republic. They don't want to reconcile the past because they still pray for a miracle to reverse it. What remains unsaid is that the IRA lost, plain and simple. They had a clear goal in mind and they did not achieve it. They failed so completely that they abandoned their pursuit, both sides exhausted and disgusted by the violence and many Catholics no longer caring but among the more extreme elements, there are those who steadfastly remain emotionally committed to it still. Perhaps they'd also like another chance to fight the Crusades as well. How about sending them to fight in Iraq or Afghanistan. NATO can use all the help it can get. Worthless France and Germany won't send any help, that's a cinch.
As a Catholic I am very angry that our bishops have done this. They SHOULD be cooperating with the consultative group. The group has catholic members and its a disgrace that the bishops wont talk, probably because they cant dominate the group.
I think the Roman Catholic Bishops have fallen out with Robin Eames because the Cathedral shop in St Patrick鈥檚 are making money from the sale of Rosary beads, an invention of Popery 1090 A.D. and they are not getting their percentage from the sale of the C.O.I. beads, sour grapes, I say not to worry for the Rosary (But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking). just like the Papacy, (And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven)., Purgatory, (But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin). The Mass, (But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God);, and Miraculous Medals, (Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth). are just money making hoaxes.
The Commission is very imbalanced and a waste of time anyway. More costly quangos will not reconcile people, only good will and God's grace.