Taylor censures archbishop

The deputy leader of the UUP, Mr John Taylor, has described as "astounding" the call by Archbishop Empey of Dublin and a minority of Church of Ireland clergy for the rector and select vestry of Drumcree parish to deny Orangemen entry into their church.

On September 30th Catalyst, a group of Church of Ireland members based at the St Anne and St George parishes in Belfast, wrote to the Rev John Pickering, rector at Drumcree, and the local select vestry "to beg you not to invite or accept requests from the Portadown Loyal Orders to participate next year."

Mr Taylor, who is Presbyterian, went on to address "the campaign by the Archbishop of Dublin and his colleagues against the Orange service in Drumcree", and asked: "Is it right that the minority membership of the church in the Republic should dictate to the majority membership of the church in Northern Ireland?"

He said "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'."