The nineteen sixties had been a hopeful time
when nearly everybody seemed to be talking to nearly
everybody. We old folk remember it well.
In the Felons Club, Falls Road whose name was a
quiet defiance of the worst label governments put on their
opponents, a Catholic priest was invited to talk about whether or how the
Catholic church could change. He asked, Who is invited to talk with you next
week ? He was not surprised to hear it was a prominent Ulster
Unionist politician.
And we remember also The Rev Donald Gillies , a Scots
Presbyterian. He was one of the most insistent speakers
against his church cooperating with Catholics, but became one of the most
ardent supporters of friendly trusting relations with them and other Christian
bodies. An honourable man, he said what he believed and if he
changed his mind he said so. He respected people and talked
with them, all of them, as generous, friendly and cooperative
neighbours would.
But the nineteen sixties were also the time of the
great scare, "The Romeward Trend". This was a fear
cultivated among our Presbyterian and Methodist friends, fright that
their churches were "moving towards Rome". The very
word "Rome" was made to strike fear into the hearts of one and all.
Even the Treaty of Rome which had nothing to do with religion or even morality
was condemned by a small and powerful brotherhood
of religious and political preachers. For Catholics, Presbyterians and
Methodists to talk to each other in public was condemned as dragging the
churches ever more Romewards. These were times when it was easy to make
enemies, sometimes hard to keep friends.
But friendships made in those optimistic days are
still alive today.
So picture the small Mission Hall just off the
Donegal Road, Belfast. Crowded. Two clerics on the stage,
a senior Methodist and a junior Catholic. September 1970.
The Catholic priest was listened to with sceptical courtesy, but the Methodist clergyman was having a hard time. Much harder
than the Catholic. He was giving the audience the same message of neighbourly
cooperation as Donald Gillies the Presbyterian had given. As the evening
wore on, tension increased, the audience, disturbed by the fear and
unconvinced by the message, became restless. Our Methodist friend
remained calm although he was in trouble. People's fear of being
besieged by enemies and let down by friends could easily turn to panic.
The front door of the Hall opened. Some police came
in. The door opened again and some British soldiers came in.
Soon there was a line of soldiers and police standing along each wall.
Armed. The speakers on the stage went on speaking. Tension increased.
However, as one might expect in a religious hall with
religious people saying religious things someone in the audience
had an inspiration. Not a religious one but it changed the
situation dramatically. However inspired he was, the inspired one
stood up and intoned the first line of "God Save the Queen
........."
Everyone stood up, soldiers and police stood to attention. The
audience was either quiet or singing. Officially, definitely and in
all politeness the function was over and everybody must go off home. When
the anthem has been sung that is the protocol..........
Those were the days when UTV, a young organisation at the
time, created what it called a programme of reconciliation -
"reconciliation" was still a gentle, graceful word then, before
it too was injected with menace - bringing people together in studios to
talk about what people did not usually talk about in mixed company,
religion. The Mission Hall off the
Donegal Road, The TV studio off the
Ormeau Road, The Republican Felons Club on the Falls Road .......a long
time ago.... but there were people willing to listen to each other
then, however much they differed in beliefs, even if it cost them. Still are.
Some day they will get their way and ideas rather than threats will win.
Political talks are still going on in Belfast ; we
need not always be pessimistic as long as people are talking and
listening to each other . We have done it before, people
are willing to do it now. If we really want politicians to do
it they probably will. So should we abuse them for not talking or
encourage them to talk? There are always some wise souls to give
the lead. Are they there? Listening to us ?
Knowing how to call halt when talking becomes, not a help but a weapon,
knowing exactly what to do, so that we
can stop now just to start again fresh
tomorrow?
When courtesy will win over cunning ?
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