B.B.C.’s “Spotlight” of May 28, dealt with
the relationship of the Church of Ireland and the Loyal Orange
Institution of Ireland. The programme featured a few clergymen
openly antagonistic to the Order, and whose views have been
aired on other occasions. They were extremely unhelpful. Their
intolerance was in direct contradiction of the sane and sensitive
approach of Archbishop Eames, to a problem, Drumcree church,
and what has been happening after service there on the first
Sunday in July since 1995. Dr. Eames described it as having
more serious religious and political undertones than these
Orange Order critics recognised. The rector of Drumcree, the
Rev. John Pickering, was confident that the actions he and
the church had taken were right and proper, in keeping with
his ordination vows and the purpose of the Church of Ireland
which is to bring people to faith in Jesus Christ. The programme
was so much a rehashing of the often filmed events of past
Drumcree that it was of little or no value in the struggle
to find a solution to the Drumcree 40 days ahead. We were
left with the questions – how should the Order face up
to media inquests of this kind? How can it present its good
case for the defence against opponents, who have media sympathy
and encouragement? The good news about the Orange Order, and
there is plenty of that, is not news to the media which concentrates
on bad news – and prefers argument to agreement.
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