Editor defends “Catholic Mass is evil” article by minister
Posted By: April 28, 2018
The editor of an evangelical Protestant magazine has defended an article which describes Catholic Mass as “evil.”
Connla Young. The Irish News. Saturday, April 28, 2018
The article in the April-June edition of Ulster Bulwark was written by the Rev. Peter McIntyre of Clogher Valley Free Presbyterian Church.
The article, “The Protestant at the Mass.” focuses on the celebration of Requiem Mass and claims “there can be no greater assault on the Gospel.”
Mr. McIntyre says it is “impossible” for a Protestant to attend Catholic Mass as a“neutral Observer.”
Free Presbyterian minister Peter McIntyre
“A church is a place of worship,” he writes.
“To be present is to be part of the worship, and as at any Mass, the wafer is translated into Christ, and this becomes the object of worship.
Ulster Bulwark editor Wallace Thompson
has defended the article that describes the Mass as “evil.”
“Do we not owe it to Christ to be separate from such evils which grossly offend the Christ who offered himself for us?”
Mr. McIntyre says “many Protestants today, rather than sacrifice reputation, willingly expose themselves to the blasphemy of the Mass” and urges readers to “reaffirm our opposition to Rome.”
“Let us object to all that brings shame on the Gospel,” he said.
Ulster Bulwark is the official organ of the Evangelical Protestant Society.
Editor Wallace Thompson, a founding member of the DUP, was a special adviser to Nigel Dodds when Mr. Dodds was a Stormont minister.
Although Mr. Thompson is still a member of the DUP, he said he was not speaking on behalf of the party.
He said he does not believe the article could be viewed as sectarian.
“Roman Catholics who believe in the doctrine of the church will not agree with what was written in the article,” he said.
“Roman Catholic people do not agree with Protestant doctrine as well.
“I don’t think it’s sectarian. It’s being open and honest and saying this is what we believe.”
Mr. Thompson emphasized that the difference of opinion is rooted in
doctrine.
“Yes, we disagree with the doctrinal position but bear no ill will to any Roman Catholic person or any other person,” he said.
Mr. Thompson said some Protestants do not understand the Bible.
“I would have more respect for my Roman Catholic fellow countrymen who hold to their beliefs than many Protestant fellow countrymen who have abandoned their beliefs,” he said.
Mr. Thompson, a formal civil servant, is clerk of session of Knock Evangelical Presbyterian Church and chairman of the Caleb Foundation.
In the past, the Evangelical Protestant Society criticized the then First Minister Peter Robinson and other unionist politicians for attending the 2011 funeral of Catholic PSNI officer Ronan Kerr, who was murdered when a dissident republican bomb exploded under his car.
The society later wrote to all Protestant and unionist MLAs urging them “to take a firm stand” on attending Catholic church services and Sunday
observance.
Founded in 1946, the society includes several members of the Orange Order and other loyal orders on its council.
According to its website the council’s only female member, Vi Dawson, who is the principal of a Co Antrim primary school, is also a regular contributor to ‘Thought for the Day’ on BBC Radio Ulster.
Mr. McIntyre did not respond to requests for a comment.
