Paul Donovan
There is a clear link between the recent stories about falling mass attendances and the bookmaker Paddy Power offending the clergy with an advertisement depicting Jesus and the apostles gambling at the last supper. The publicity over the Power story helps depict the Catholic Church as some sort of over-sensitive sect rather than a world religion of significance to people’s daily lives.
At a recent discussion on the future of Catholicism, academic Tina Beattie asked why more people know the Church’s teachings about contraception, abortion and homosexuality than war, poverty and social justice. She referred to “a crisis of transmission”, put down to a hostile approach from some in the media and the Church’s ability to contribute to its own problems with the various scandals of recent years.
Yet it is in the area of social justice that the Church can be seen playing a crucially important role in the world. There was the role of Catholics in the miscarriage of justice campaigns to free the Birmingham Six, the Guildford Four and Judith Ward.
What of the anti-war movement? The Pitstop Five, as they have become known, non-violently disabled a US navy warplane at Shannon Airport. Drawn from the Catholic Worker Movement, Karren Fallon, Deirdre Clancy, Nuin Dunlop, Ciaron O’Reilly and Damien Moran took the action in protest at the continued use of Shannon as a transitory point for US troops on their way to Iraq. The trial of the five takes place in Dublin on October 24.
There has been the work with the homeless and young offenders taken on by the De Paul Trust in both Britain and Ireland. The work of the Irish Bishop Conference’s Irish Commission for Prisoners Overseas (ICPO) in supporting and providing advocacy for prisoners and their families in jails outside Ireland.
Then there has been the leading role played by humanitarian agencies like CAFOD and Trócaire in providing aid and advocacy on behalf of the world’s poor.
All of these individuals and organisations are involved in working for a more fair and just society. If the Church is to move forward in the 21st century it should put more resources into the work of its people for social justice. This work can revitalise the Church and ensure that it remains relevant to the community. Whether Paddy Power is taking bets on the last supper or not really is neither here nor there.
n It was good to at last see the Rossport Five released from jail last week for daring to stand up to oil giant Shell. However, there was a real feeling of déjà vu when Colombian lawyer Marta Hinestroza told about the activities of oil giant BP against farmers in her country.
Marta had been forced to flee Colombia after standing with the farmers against the activities of paramilitary groups seemingly working for the interests of big business.
BP drove two pipelines through Colombia in the early and mid-1990s, destroying much of the environment en route. A 100-metre exclusion zone was created either side of the pipeline stopping the farmers cultivating the land. At night those entering the zone could be shot.
When the farming communities protested they were repressed by the military and paramilitary groups. Individuals who stood up were immediately labelled as part of the guerrilla insurgency. In one horrendous case Marta told how a father was chopped up with chain saws in front of his family. “There has been a lack of water for crops, a lot of the farmers have been displaced. Many have been forced to live next to the rubbish dump in Medellin,” said Marta.
Four of the farmers have died during the years of protest for their rights.
Any attempts by the farming communities to raise their concerns with the government or its human rights agencies have been ignored.
Since her arrival in Britain Marta has been working on a case against BP which will come before the British Courts next month. BP insist they have done nothing wrong and no doubt they would not be directly involved in any of the more strong arm tactics. Marta rightly questioned why the taxes of those living in Britain are being used to prolong the unjust conflict in Colombia. It is a good question that no doubt Irish taxpayers may well ask of their own government’s role in underwriting the Shell pipeline across Ireland. |
