Primates kicked for touch over concelebrated Mass, says Patsy McGarry, Religious Affairs Correspondent
As Jesus might begin a parable: "There were once two men, both servants of the Lord, who lived at a time of strife in their country. One was a chief priest in his denomination and a man of conscience.
"He stuck close to God and did not mix with Samaritans or any who expressed their belief in God in a different way.
"He held to his position even while around him members of his denomination and others went to war, sometimes through words, sometimes through violence. He stood apart, an icon in his integrity.
"The other was a teacher and a high priest in his own denomination.
"One day he happened, by accident, to be in the city during an outbreak of violence between followers of his denomination and Samaritans. He was appalled that the Samaritans in particular, and religion in general, should be treated in this way.
"He organised a special service and arranged for a local Samaritan priest to take part as his equal. It was a great success, with the Samaritan priest and his followers being embraced in warm welcome by former adversaries."
At which point Jesus might have asked: "Now which of these two men did the will of the Father?"
It emerged at the weekend that the Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, Dr Harry Uprichard, has declined an invitation to attend a service to mark the annual RUC George Cross day next June, because it will be an inter-denominational event attended by a Catholic priest.
Dr Uprichard said that "in conscience" he could not attend the service to be held in June at St Anne's Church of Ireland church in Dungannon, Co Tyrone.
The event has taken place annually since 2003 and is attended by representatives of the four main churches, generally. Dr Uprichard was invited to preach at the ceremony this year.
His place is being taken by Rev Dr Ken Newell, a former Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland.
Dr Uprichard is being consistent. Last June he refused to invite the Catholic primate Archbishop Seán Brady to his installation for similar reasons of conscience. The previous year Archbishop Brady was invited to attend the installation of Rev Dr Newell as Moderator (Presbyterian Moderators hold office for a year), as his personal guest. Three of the church's 21 presbyteries expressed "hurt" at Archbishop Brady being invited.
Last weekend also it emerged that the former prior with the Augustinians in Drogheda, Fr Iggy O'Donovan, had organised a concelebrated Mass involving the local Church of Ireland rector, Rev Michael Graham. He did so in response to the Taoiseach's call for inclusive ceremonies to mark 1916, but also after he witnessed the "Love Ulster" riots in Dublin. The visceral, sectarian hatred of the young Dubliners involved, appalled him.
Rather than rush off to splendid isolation, where he might further comfort his integrity, Fr O'Donovan decided to do something.
He crossed the sectarian divide and invited Rev Graham to take part with him in the most sacred Christian ritual at the most important Christian festival of the year.
As Fr O'Donovan said in a homily at that Easter Sunday Mass, held to mark both the 90th anniversary of 1916 and the Battle of the Somme, "it is a blasphemy to make religion the cause of strife, and is it not sobering to wonder how it is possible for Christians not to see the blinding truth that toleration of fellow Christian believers, whose views may differ, lies at the very heart of the gospel we profess."
Meanwhile, the Catholic and Church of Ireland primates, Archbishops Brady and Eames, both taken aback by the Mass of which they had no prior knowledge, kicked for touch. They are wise. Both decent men, their instinct is not to condemn where avoidable. But they could do better.
Archbishop Brady said: "true ecumenism is best served by initiatives that are respectful of, and sensitive to, the traditions, ethos and discipline of all those involved."
Archbishop Eames said: "I share Archbishop Brady's concern over the implications for ecumenical relationships."
Such concern and sensitivity is what allowed, for instance, a spokesman for the Catholic Communications Office to respond last year, when it emerged that Archbishop Brady would not be invited to Dr Uprichard's installation as Presbyterian Moderator: "It has never been a tradition for the Catholic Church to be formally represented at the installation of a new Moderator, and Archbishop Brady fully respects the decision of the new Moderator to maintain that tradition."
In 1996 when he called on Tony Blair (Church of England) to stop receiving Communion with his wife and children at Mass, Cardinal Basil Hume did so on the grounds of respecting each other's ethos and traditions. Cardinal Connell did so similarly when calling on Catholics and Protestants to desist from receiving communion in each others churches here in Ireland.
It it hard to avoid concluding we have too much "respect" in what exists of inter-church relations in these islands. Such stagnant sensitivity has given us at best stasis in those relations but, and more seriously, at worst a credible template for ongoing sectarianism where prejudice is dressed up in theology.
We would be better off with clergy who were less sensitive and more proactive where conscience and integrity is concerned.
What is needed are more like Fr O'Donovan and Rev Graham who will actively reach for the common ground.
What is needed is more of the courage exhibited by them and the other two priests who took part in the Mass at Drogheda last Sunday.