Drumcree rector rejects call to stop Orangemen attending service

The rector of the Church of the Ascension at Drumcree, the Rev John Pickering, and his select vestry have rejected calls to prevent Orangemen attending the morning prayer service in July of next year.

"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 12th every year as it is held every Sunday," he said in a statement last night.

Mr Pickering was responding to a September 30th letter from the Church of Ireland Catalyst group. It was sent to him and his select vestry "to beg you not to invite or accept requests from the Portadown Loyal Orders to participate (in the service) next year" The letter was signed by 160 Church of Ireland clergy, including the Archbishop of Dublin, Dr Walton Empey and the Bishop of Cashel, the Right Rev John Neill.

Mr Pickering said he was very sorry the Catalyst group seemed not to understand the situation at Drumcree and regretted it did not consult with him before issuing its letter, which was sent to all ordained clergy in the church. And while other clergy received their letters in August, he did not understand why he didn't receive his until October.

"It must be stressed that nobody can be denied the right to a service to worship Almighty God," he said. He was also "interested that 680 ordained clergy, approximately, did not sign the letter, from which it may be assumed they have an understanding of Drumcree and perhaps reject the call in the letter".

Mr Brian Fitzpatrick, honorary secretary of the Catalyst group, said last night: "It seems Mr Pickering and his vestry have set themselves up against the church as a whole." They did not seem to want to make a distinction between individuals going to prayer and a large group "with a clear-cut corporate identity" many of whom were not members of the church at all. "Are they really there to worship? He needs to focus on that," he said.

He also wondered how, if Mr Pickering had not received the letter last August, the rector's wife was in a position to complain about its content to the Archbishop of Armagh, Dr Robin Eames, during the Lambeth Conference in Canterbury last August.

Catalyst had also requested a meeting with Mr Pickering on September 14th, to which the only response was a request for a list of names, he said. He agreed not all ordained Church of Ireland clergy had signed the letter but believed this was due in the main to a desire on their part not to tread on someone else's patch. Others felt they did not know enough about the situation.

Mr Fitzpatrick also dismissed criticisms of the Archbishop of Dublin, Dr Walton Empey, by the Ulster Unionist Party deputy leader, Mr John Taylor. Mr Taylor, who is Presbyterian, described the letter to Mr Pickering and his select vestry as "astounding", and asked "is it right that the minority membership of the Church of Ireland in the Republic should dictate to the majority membership of the Church in Northern Ireland?"

He accused Archbishop Empey of "intervention" in Northern Ireland affairs, and criticised his "campaign" against the Orange service at Drumcree. Mr Fitzpatrick, said it was "grossly unfair" of Mr Taylor to lay responsibility for the Drumcree letter at the door of Archbishop Empey.