Bishop of Derry: Building a
future of hope in Northern Ireland
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| Parliament buildings at Stormont in Northern Ireland |
50 years on from a key event in Northern Ireland’s conflict,
the Bishop of Derry, Donal McKeown reflects on creating hope for the future,
ecumenical dialogue and the challenges of Brexit.
The Northern Ireland conflict, also known as the Troubles
spanned from 1968 to 1998 when the Good Friday Agreement was signed, marking a
milestone in the peace process there.
Around 3,600 people were killed and more than 30,000 more
were injured in the violent 30 year sectarian strife.
This week marks the 50th anniversary of
riots which brought British soldiers onto the streets of Derry.
The Battle of the Bogside, as it became known, marked a key
escalation point in the Troubles and has its roots in the Northern Ireland
Civil Rights movement.
The diocese of Derry is made up of 51 parishes and includes
almost all of County Derry (also known as Londonderry), parts of County Tyrone
and County Donegal in the Republic of Ireland, and a very small area across the
River Bann in County Antrim.
Mature outlook
Reflecting on this anniversary, it’s Bishop, Donal McKeown
notes that “Derry has been very mature in how its marked the anniversary of the
beginning of the Troubles here… in I969, in that, there really has been little
in terms of public celebration.”
He goes on to say that, “we have a situation now where we
want to look back on the past, learn from it and ensure we are creating hope
for the future, especially for our young people and not leaving us prisoners of
events that happened half a century ago.”
Ecumenical co-operation
What has been particularly important Bishop McKeown
underlines has been dialogue, stressing that all the four main Christian
Churches have been working very closely together for the last 35 to 40 years in
terms of bridge building.
The Bishop adds that the Catholic, Presbyterian, Methodist
and Anglican Churches in Northern Ireland want to speak out together to make
sure that young people are not given a “destructive narrative” about the past.
One example of this ecumenical co-operation was in the
aftermath of the murder of journalist Lyra McKee on Holy Thursday in April this
year. Recalling this shocking event which provoked widespread
condemnation, the Bishop of Derry says “the Church of Ireland Bishop and myself,
we talked about our statements first thing in the morning…then at twelve we
carried the Cross on Good Friday through the streets of the city… we
then went together up to the site of the murder along with a range of other
churches and political parties… so there’s that ongoing visible presence of the
Churches that really is appreciated …”
Brexit
Asked about the challenges for Northern Ireland and indeed
for the people of Derry as Brexit looms, the Bishop comments, “my main concern
is how we can ensure that pastoral problems can be avoided for our people.” “My
concern is about rising tensions, community dissention about the future of the
border, unemployment, lack of hope for young people.”
“We’ve had from the Good Friday Agreement the
integration of the economy, the fact that the border is entirely invisible, the
fact that people can feel they can breathe and look forward to the future with
confidence, all of that is threatened by the need for a hard border as
perceived, especially in the context of a no deal agreement”, he says.
As the 31st of October fast approaches, Bishop McKeown
emphasizes that “those who are leading Brexit have to recognize not just the
benefits for East Sussex but the challenges for West Derry.”
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