In his address to Armagh Synod on October 12, Archbishop Alan Harper said that in discussing Government policy about the future shape of society “ it is no longer enough for the churches in Northern Ireland to behave merely as polite neighbours engaged in discussions which rarely have tangible outcomes... We need to examine how the contribution of the churches could be improved, enhanced and extended on the basis of “shared future” principles and incorporating the highest possible standards for the safeguarding of young people.”
The Archbishop continued, “ The churches already, independently, make a highly significant contribution to the well being of the elderly and vulnerable in our society. We now need an audit of everything that falls into such a category, first to evaluate the work already in hand, and second to coordinate, extend and enhance such work for the future on a consciously cross community basis. Where particular churches do things well, or have expertise and capacity that others do not have, these should be shared, duplication reduced and standards enhanced. Think what the Church of Ireland could learn from our covenant partners in the Methodist Church and what we could contribute by working closely with the Salvation Army, the Society of St Vincent de Paul, and the Presbyterian Church.
“The churches, and especially the four largest churches, are already major stakeholders in the provision of education at primary and post primary levels. Schools already collaborate with one another, to greater or lesser extents, through Area Learning Communities and the like. However, it remains the perception that educating children separately tends to reinforce sectarian division. The Controlled and Voluntary Grammar Sectors are open to all children regardless of religious affiliation but have largely a “Protestant” ethos; the Catholic Maintained Sector, likewise, is open to non Roman Catholics but is committed to a Roman Catholic ethos.
“One of the statistics I quoted earlier is of considerable importance in this regard. It is the evidence that 62% of parents would prefer to send their children to mixed religion schools. I note, first, that there is a significant majority in favour of schools retaining a distinctively religious ethos. I also note that there is strong support among parents for a broader exposure of children and young people to the varieties of Christian religious experience. Parents want schools with a Christian ethos but they want their children to have a wider experience, and a wider respect, for traditions other than their own. They also want their children to grow up enjoying the company and friendship of children from a variety of Christian traditions. Can we not respond to that wish on the part of parents?
“I believe that we can and I believe that, as stakeholders, the churches should set out to create the links that have the power to draw separate institutions into an ever closer relationship of collaboration, respect and affection. Where new schools are required, can we not work together with imagination and creativity to offer a shared Christian vision to enhance the educational experience of children in our schools? Although the voices of secularists are strident we are not yet (and I believe never will be) a secular society. Patterns of faith are changing but faith itself is not in decline, quite the opposite – that is probably why atheist secularists are so shrill. Our children deserve and need the rich and distinctive colours that each tradition brings to an understanding of the tapestry of the world that is God’s and the society that God calls us to serve and shape in his name.”
The Archbishop continued, “ The churches already, independently, make a highly significant contribution to the well being of the elderly and vulnerable in our society. We now need an audit of everything that falls into such a category, first to evaluate the work already in hand, and second to coordinate, extend and enhance such work for the future on a consciously cross community basis. Where particular churches do things well, or have expertise and capacity that others do not have, these should be shared, duplication reduced and standards enhanced. Think what the Church of Ireland could learn from our covenant partners in the Methodist Church and what we could contribute by working closely with the Salvation Army, the Society of St Vincent de Paul, and the Presbyterian Church.
“The churches, and especially the four largest churches, are already major stakeholders in the provision of education at primary and post primary levels. Schools already collaborate with one another, to greater or lesser extents, through Area Learning Communities and the like. However, it remains the perception that educating children separately tends to reinforce sectarian division. The Controlled and Voluntary Grammar Sectors are open to all children regardless of religious affiliation but have largely a “Protestant” ethos; the Catholic Maintained Sector, likewise, is open to non Roman Catholics but is committed to a Roman Catholic ethos.
“One of the statistics I quoted earlier is of considerable importance in this regard. It is the evidence that 62% of parents would prefer to send their children to mixed religion schools. I note, first, that there is a significant majority in favour of schools retaining a distinctively religious ethos. I also note that there is strong support among parents for a broader exposure of children and young people to the varieties of Christian religious experience. Parents want schools with a Christian ethos but they want their children to have a wider experience, and a wider respect, for traditions other than their own. They also want their children to grow up enjoying the company and friendship of children from a variety of Christian traditions. Can we not respond to that wish on the part of parents?
“I believe that we can and I believe that, as stakeholders, the churches should set out to create the links that have the power to draw separate institutions into an ever closer relationship of collaboration, respect and affection. Where new schools are required, can we not work together with imagination and creativity to offer a shared Christian vision to enhance the educational experience of children in our schools? Although the voices of secularists are strident we are not yet (and I believe never will be) a secular society. Patterns of faith are changing but faith itself is not in decline, quite the opposite – that is probably why atheist secularists are so shrill. Our children deserve and need the rich and distinctive colours that each tradition brings to an understanding of the tapestry of the world that is God’s and the society that God calls us to serve and shape in his name.”
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