Letters to the Editor
News Letter
Dear Editor,
Regarding your Editorial,
"Twelfth Could Be Province's Cash
Boost"(Wednesday 27th October 2004):
You say: "The highly colourful Twelfth
parades have unique appeal, crossing the
community divide, especially in the
field of music, and these events should
not be seen either as threatening or
disruptive."
Would to God that were true, and if it
were Irish-Americans would gladly play
their part in promoting "the Twelfth".
But, seriously, do you really believe
that the world sees the Twelfth in this
light Š Drumcree, Billy Wright, Johnny
Adair with his Alsatian dogs, the
Paisley-Trimble jig, the burning of the
three little Quinn children,
anti-Catholic Resolutions, anti-Pope
rants, etc. etc.?
Those dreadful images can never be
erased from the popular mind -- not even
by the most magical PR campaign -- until
the Orange Order fully decommissions its
anti-Catholic mind -set and deletes from
its rules and regulations all inherently
anti-Catholic bigotry. Until it does, no
amount of tinkering, fudging, public
relations-stunts or empty words -- or
totally unrealistic Editorials -- will
change the fundamental nature of the
problem.
For as long as the Orange Order, as an
Institution, is anti-Catholic some of
its members will act out accordingly.
And here let me stress, Anti-Catholicism
is not about a difference in faith and
theology, which by definition exist
between different religions, (that's why
there are different religions). Rather,
anti-Catholicism is a
socio-economic-political system for
oppressing Catholics . As a Fermanagh-native
I do not believe for one moment that all
Orangemen are anti-Catholic. Indeed I
know -- from personal experience and
from my study of history -- that there
are many decent and fair-minded members
in the Orange Order.
I also know the ultimate blame here
rests with the British Crown and
Government. The Orange Order in being
anti-Catholic is simply being loyal to
one of the foundational laws of the
Royal Family that enshrines
institutional anti-Catholicism and
bigotry at the very heart of the British
monarchy ------- the Act of Settlement
1701, which constitutionally forbids
anyone who becomes a Catholic or marries
a Catholic from being the Monarch Š and
in such case he/she forfeits the Crown
and the people are absolved of their
allegiance.
That would be like having a provision in
the American Constitution that forbade a
Black person from being president. Can
you imagine how that would have further
fueled the fires of White racism in
America? Could any person of justice
defend it or evade it by silence?
Therefore, justice and decency demand
the British Crown/ Government must
repeal the Act of Settlement and the
Orange Order must repeal its
anti-Catholic rules and regulations.
What's so difficult about that?
Father Sean Mc Manus
President
Irish National Caucus
