Paisley meeting with Catholic head may signal historic shift
-11/10/06
As the political
Paisley meeting with Catholic head may signal historic shift
-11/10/06
As the political pressure mounts on both the loyalist Democratic Unionist Party and the nationalist Sinn Fein to finally do a deal before the plug is pulled on the Stormont Assembly, there are signs that the Rev Ian Paisley ñ who has steadfastly opposed any power-sharing arrangement ñ may be preparing for a historic shift.
Mr Paisley, who heads hat is now Northern Ireland’s largest political party, the DUP, has already met the leader of the Roman Catholic Church in Ireland in what has been hailed as a major step to overcoming tensions in the divided territory.
The fiery fundamentalist preacher has in the past accused the Pope of being ëthe anti-Christí and has poured all kinds of verbal calumny on Roman Catholics. Yet his exchange with the Catholic Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All-Ireland, Dr Sean Brady, seems to have been overwhelmingly positive.
The recent encounter took place in Belfast. “We had a very good and useful exchange of views across a range of issues,” Mr Paisley, who also leads the Free Presbyterian Church, was quoted saying after the meeting.
He went on: “It is in the interests of everyone to develop the foundations for stability and prosperity for all the people of Northern Ireland.”
This is taken by commentators to indicate that while his hard-line religious views remain intact, he is prepared to shift the political agenda ñ perceiving that the nationalist position has moved enough to offer hope of a stable political settlement.
So far, Mr Paisley has refused to meet, shake hands with or even be in the same negotiating room as Sinn Fein representatives, including key leaders Gerry Adams and Martin McGuiness. This has made attempts at a deal ìdifficult to the point of surrealî, an observer told Ekklesia.
But UK government Northern Ireland secretary Peter Hain is determined to break the deadlock, which has stalled the peace process for many months. He believes that he holds two decisive cards.
The first is the glowing report of the decommissioning body on the demilitarization process, which says that the Irish Republican Army (IRA), with whom Sinn Fein have been closely affiliated, has now transitioned decisively away from violence and towards democracy.
The second is the five-week deadline for the realization of a Stormont deal ñ without which politicians on all sides will lose their salaries and privileges.
Meanwhile observers say that Mr Paisley has been moderating his rhetoric and political stance lately ñ and that his reputation as ìDr Noî (based on his oft-repeated refrain, ìUlster Says No!î) may be about to change to ìDr Maybeî.
Mr Hain, who is attending a three-day Scottish summit on Northern Ireland – along with PM Tony Blair and Bertie Ahern, the Taoiseach ñ declared: ìIt’s not just a question of going past midnight for a few hours, a few days or a few weeks. I know and everybody knows that every time that has happened in the past, it’s become a few months and then a few years and we are back on the same old merry-go-round.î
He continued: ìWe are not playing that game this time. It has to be a 100 per cent deal. There can’t be a 95 per cent or even a 99 per cent deal, which could then unravel the other side of midnight.î
But long-term analysts say that there could well be more twists in the tortuous peace and political progress before a sustainable settlement is reached.
[Also on Ekklesia: Pope may visit Northern Ireland; Northern Ireland peace “tantalizingly close”; books: Land of Unlikeness: Explorations into Reconciliation; Pardon and Peace: A Reflection on the Making of Peace in Ireland; Exclusion and Embrace: A Theological Exploration of Identity and Change; Called to Step into the Breach: The Churches’ Role in Overcoming Conflict; Changing Women, Changing World: Evangelical Women in Church in Ireland]
Paisley meeting with Catholic head may signal historic shift
-11/10/06
As the political pressure mounts on both the loyalist Democratic Unionist Party and the nationalist Sinn Fein to finally do a deal before the plug is pulled on the Stormont Assembly, there are signs that the Rev Ian Paisley ñ who has steadfastly opposed any power-sharing arrangement ñ may be preparing for a historic shift.
Mr Paisley, who heads hat is now Northern Ireland’s largest political party, the DUP, has already met the leader of the Roman Catholic Church in Ireland in what has been hailed as a major step to overcoming tensions in the divided territory.
The fiery fundamentalist preacher has in the past accused the Pope of being ëthe anti-Christí and has poured all kinds of verbal calumny on Roman Catholics. Yet his exchange with the Catholic Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All-Ireland, Dr Sean Brady, seems to have been overwhelmingly positive.
The recent encounter took place in Belfast. “We had a very good and useful exchange of views across a range of issues,” Mr Paisley, who also leads the Free Presbyterian Church, was quoted saying after the meeting.
He went on: “It is in the interests of everyone to develop the foundations for stability and prosperity for all the people of Northern Ireland.”
This is taken by commentators to indicate that while his hard-line religious views remain intact, he is prepared to shift the political agenda ñ perceiving that the nationalist position has moved enough to offer hope of a stable political settlement.
So far, Mr Paisley has refused to meet, shake hands with or even be in the same negotiating room as Sinn Fein representatives, including key leaders Gerry Adams and Martin McGuiness. This has made attempts at a deal ìdifficult to the point of surrealî, an observer told Ekklesia.
But UK government Northern Ireland secretary Peter Hain is determined to break the deadlock, which has stalled the peace process for many months. He believes that he holds two decisive cards.
The first is the glowing report of the decommissioning body on the demilitarization process, which says that the Irish Republican Army (IRA), with whom Sinn Fein have been closely affiliated, has now transitioned decisively away from violence and towards democracy.
The second is the five-week deadline for the realization of a Stormont deal ñ without which politicians on all sides will lose their salaries and privileges.
Meanwhile observers say that Mr Paisley has been moderating his rhetoric and political stance lately ñ and that his reputation as ìDr Noî (based on his oft-repeated refrain, ìUlster Says No!î) may be about to change to ìDr Maybeî.
Mr Hain, who is attending a three-day Scottish summit on Northern Ireland – along with PM Tony Blair and Bertie Ahern, the Taoiseach ñ declared: ìIt’s not just a question of going past midnight for a few hours, a few days or a few weeks. I know and everybody knows that every time that has happened in the past, it’s become a few months and then a few years and we are back on the same old merry-go-round.î
He continued: ìWe are not playing that game this time. It has to be a 100 per cent deal. There can’t be a 95 per cent or even a 99 per cent deal, which could then unravel the other side of midnight.î
But long-term analysts say that there could well be more twists in the tortuous peace and political progress before a sustainable settlement is reached.
[Also on Ekklesia: Pope may visit Northern Ireland; Northern Ireland peace “tantalizingly close”; books: Land of Unlikeness: Explorations into Reconciliation; Pardon and Peace: A Reflection on the Making of Peace in Ireland; Exclusion and Embrace: A Theological Exploration of Identity and Change; Called to Step into the Breach: The Churches’ Role in Overcoming Conflict; Changing Women, Changing World: Evangelical Women in Church in Ireland]