About 50 people from a variety
of Churches attended the 33rd Irish Inter Church Meeting (IICM), including Joan Back from Kildare Focolare Centre and Juanita Majury from Belfast Focolare. The title commemorated the 100th anniversary of the Irish Council of Churches (ICC) and the 50th anniversary of the IICM. Distinguished speakers offered high level input.
Rev. Canon Dr. Ian Ellis (Church of Ireland) set the scene with an informative overview of the context around the Ballymascanlon talks and the priorities, challenges and achievements of those early years. His recent book, “Called to be One, honouring the centenary of the ICC and 50th anniversary of the IICM” is a comprehensive account of the 50 years since 1973. In his book he formulated 3 questions which he repeated and which became the framework for the ensuing discussion:
Is our unity truly such as will draw the world to faith?
Are we really doing as much as we can together?
Do our actions match our words?
Fr. Martin Brown, a Benedictine monk from Glenstall, currently seconded to the Vatican Dicastery for Christian Unity gave a wide ranging account on recent developments and directions in international ecumenical relations, blowing everyone’s minds with the breath and detail of the dialogue paths being followed.
Rev. Dr. Donald Watts’ (PCI) input covered the dedicated work carried out by brave people over the years, people who took risks and exhibited enormous courage. This was made even more evident as the development of the work of the ICC and the IICM took place during the years of the Northern Ireland “troubles”, the historical background highlighted the creativity and commitment of very many protagonists.
Rev Dr. Heather Morris (Methodist Church), Bishop Sarah Groves (Moravian Church) and Dr. Damian Jackson (IICM Joint Secretary) offered us their reflections in a panel presentation dealing with “Challenges and Opportunities”.
The meeting was barely 24 hours and yet it was a significant event. It included important times of prayer including a beautiful evening worship entitled “Thanksgiving for the Ballymascanlon Talks and 50 years of the Irish Inter-Church Meeting”. A very moving moment took place on Friday morning when one of the Church of Ireland delegates, from Palestine, shared their thoughts and experience of the conflict in Gaza and the Holy Land, we were all moved to tears and even more so when someone intoned the hymn “Peace perfect peace”. It made our deliberations seem even more important in our desire to see peace achieved everywhere.
The input and prayer stimulated sharing and discussion around tables, each person offering their experience and intuitions in a mutually enriching exchange. A convivial reception on Thursday evening added to the fellowship and the comfort and delicious cuisine of the Dromantine Retreat and Conference Centre also facilitated our conversations.
Afterwards, the co-chairs of the event, Archbishop Eamon Martin (RC) and Bishop Andrew Forster (COI) expressed their thoughts as follows*:
Bishop Forster: It’s been a really special time being together, there’s a sense of history in this meeting because we’re celebrating 50 years since the first meeting of the Irish Inter-Church Meeting and the famous Ballymascanlon talks. We’ve reflected on some of the things that happened in those talks. We’ve also looked at the journey that we have come and that’s a good journey. It’s a journey that blesses us and we hope has blessed the church in the land but we see how much more we still need to do. One of the really interesting things about this meeting compared to 50 years ago is the different churches that are here. We have churches that have come to Ireland with the new communities, represented in the Orthodox traditions, in the Pentecostal traditions and so on. And to learn from each other, to gain from each other. One of the phrases that we heard was that we can read what the Spirit is doing in each other’s churches and be blessed in that.
Archbishop Martin: One of the things that we’ve been speaking about here these last two days is how much we’ve changed in 50 years. The whole context in which we’re living and working, and praying and worshipping has completely shifted here on this island, north and south. And therefore, we’ve been trying to focus our minds on what are the new challenges that are facing the churches, working together, connecting in Christ and really looking forward to continued friendship and continued work and sharing together. It’s quite challenging to think that we’re now believers in a very secular society and we’re not only having to connect with each other now as churches, but we’re having to connect with society and connect with a secular culture, which has in many cases left church behind. So I think, the big challenge for the future and for the next 50 years, is to bring the good news to people who perhaps drifted away. I thank God for the fellowship and positivity at this year’s Irish Inter-Church Meeting.
* https://twitter.com/CatholicBishops
