More ‘uncomfortable questions’ over Irish President Michael D Higgins absence from NI Centenary service

The Irish president’s decision to stay away from Thursday’s NI centenary church service “raises uncomfortable questions” about the Irish state’s commitment to reconciliation, it has been claimed.
Irish Times columnist Stephen CollinsIrish Times columnist Stephen Collins
Irish Times columnist Stephen Collins

Writing in the Irish Times, columnist and former political editor Stephen Collins (pictured) asks what Michael D Higgins “found so offensive” about a cross-community Christian service.

“The unavoidable absence of Queen Elizabeth from the church ceremony in Armagh to mark the 100th anniversary of partition may have spared the blushes of the deliberately absent President Michael D Higgins, but it has not assuaged the embarrassment felt by all those who believe in a genuine parity of esteem between the two traditions on this island,” he said.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Mr Collins added: “What precisely the president found so offensive about the event organised by the four leading Christian denominations in Ireland, billed as a Service for Reflection and Hope, is still not clear but his refusal to attend has raised a number of uncomfortable questions about the commitment of the Irish State to genuine reconciliation.”

Michael Kelly, editor of the Irish Catholic newspaper, said the leaders of church leaders handled the service “with grace”.

He tweeted: “Having spent the day in Armagh at the service marking (not celebrating) partition, I suspect that President Higgins will in time be found to be on the wrong side of history. It was a complex and painful anniversary that the church leaders handled with grace.”

Peter Lynas of the Evangelical Alliance replied: “It was a fantastic service full of gospel and grace and handled really well by the church leaders.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

——— ———

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

With the coronavirus lockdowns having had a major impact on many of our advertisers — and consequently the revenue we receive — we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription.

Subscribe to newsletter.co.ukand enjoy unlimited access to the best Northern Ireland and UK news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content.

Visit

to sign up

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Our journalism costs money and we rely on advertising, print and digital revenues to help to support them. By supporting us, we are able to support you in providing trusted, fact-checked content for this website.

Ben Lowry, Editor