Morning session:

After hearing from the representatives of the churches visiting the Synod, work continues at the General Synod today as attempts are made to catch up on the order of business.

This morning Bill 7 was discussed by Synod. The purpose of this Bill was to establish Provincial Mediation Panels and to make further provision concerning mediation in conflict resolution and related matters.

Canon J.A.A. Condell, introducing the Bill, said, "In the Church of Ireland from time to time there are clergy who for whatever reason make life intolerable for their parishioners and there are parishes which for whatever reason make life intolerable for their clergy." 

This Bill, if passed will enable the Church to establish Mediation Panels in the two provinces of the Church of Ireland, one for the Northern Province of Armagh and one for the Southern Province of Dublin.

The Bill makes provision for the members of these Panels to be appointed by the Diocesan Councils, on the nomination of the Bishop, and comprise one ordained priest and one lay person from each of the Dioceses in the Province.  They shall receive training in conflict resolution prior to taking up office. 

The Bill was passed in principle but will require final approval on Thursday.

Afternoon session:

Synod business continued this afternoon in the O'Reilly Hall in Dublin. Reports were received and accepted from the Pensions Board, the Commission on Ministry and the Representative Body.

After lunch Synod began to discuss Motion number 3 in the names of Mr. J.M.D. Couchman and the Revd Canon N.T. Ruddock. The Motion stated:

"That this Synod will not allow the sale of the Palace Kilkenny in the present climate of dissent within the United Diocese, and in the light of the disenfranchisement of Ferns Diocese."

After advice from the Archbishop's Assessor, Synod was advised that from a legal perspective Synod had no authority to allow or disallow the sale of the Palace Kilkenny. Only the legal owners, the Representative Church Body, had that right.

However the Archbishop requested that Synod permit debate on the Motion continue after it was amended to read

 "That this Synod would disapprove of the sale of the Palace Kilkenny in the present climate of dissent."

This permission was given and the debate took place.

A vote was taken on the amended Motion. In favour 99, against 209. The amended Motion was lost.

Reports from the Revd Gregg Ryan, Irish Correspondent of the Church Times

"The breakdown in trust evident in Irish political life has now translated to church affairs", the Bishop of Meath and Kildare Dr. Richard Clarke told General Synod when Seconding the report of the Representative Church Body.

Bishop Clarke said that underneath the veneer of pleasantries which existed at synod, the prevailing view in the secular world that politicians and people in authority generally were 'up to no good' and could not be trusted, is now visible in the relationship between members of the Church of Ireland and their administrative bodies.

"It is a new culture of cynicism and hostility towards others within the Church administrative structures. There seems to be a basic assumption that people with whom we may differ could not possibly be acting in good faith, or be competent or even be as honourable in their intentions."

Defending the Representative Church Body against the popular image in some quarters as a faceless body pulling strings, he went on: "The RCB is a body with trust responsibility in law, but for the most part democratically elected from the different dioceses of the Church of Ireland."

"It is meaningless to refer to the RCB as a kind of faceless "establishment", shadowy figures pulling strings. The members of the RCB are not characters in some Kafka novel. They are elected, as is this synod, and they are as removable at election time as are the members of this synod. Please remember that many of them have given unselfish, gifted and dedicated service to this Church over many years."

He added that it was even more unworthy to speak in ungenerous terms of the staff of Church House, who cannot reply to abuse.

"Many of the staff of Church House in the current job market could do a great deal better for themselves, working elsewhere. I believe that we owe them our courtesy, our friendliness, and most certainly, our appreciation."

The Principal of the Church of Ireland Theological College, Dr. John Bartlett, who is retiring, made an impassioned plea to general synod to expand the services of the college to cater for lay people as well as clergy.

Dr. Bartlett said that theology is no longer the private preserve of the clergy. "Many lay people here today have just as keen an interest in theology as their clergy - indeed, often a keener interest - and I seriously commend that point to the College Council and those who come after me."

He urged the Church to guard the status of the College and its emphasis on theology in a changing Irish Anglican scene.

"The College is called the Theological College, and that matters. We are not simply training clergy to behave in clerical ways. Training is what you do to make dogs jump through hoops. We are educating the future clergy theologically, we are there to give them a theological basis for their ministry. If clergy do not understand their belief from its origins upwards, they will not have any solid base for their preaching. Nonsense talked about God, as someone said, is still nonsense."

This is especially true in the context of the changing profile of ordinands. Dr. Bartlett reminded synod that the traditional background of Irish Anglican ordinands had altered in recent times.

""We are introducing future clergy to the liturgical and pastoral and spiritual traditions of the Church of Ireland. I say introducing, because not all our students were reared in them; Anglicanism was not always their birthright. This work is important if the traditions of the Church of Ireland are to continue."

Canon Bartlett was Principal of the college for twelve years and presided over its modernisation and academic advancement at a time of major change in the Church and the approach to education generally.

The time for talking and passing resolutions over Drumcree has passed and it is now time for action, the Archdeacon of Down, Ven. Gregor McCamley, told General Synod.

He said that the integrity of the Church was at stake and it was no longer acceptable to argue that everything that could have been done within legal and constitutional bounds. Action should include giving a bishop wider powers, if that was what was necessary.

During the discussion which took place in a debate on the Standing Committee Report, Canon Cecil Hyland, Dublin Diocese, said that at almost every church gathering throughout Ireland, the Drumcree issue came up and the church continued to be seriously damaged.

The impression was going out that the Church of Ireland was morally moribund when a message that "all that could be done has been done" is conveyed.

Mr. David Bleakley, Down Diocese, said the people of Northern Ireland are "walking on very thin ice. We could have civic meltdown over the next few weeks", he said, though he hoped this would not happen.

Mr. John Richardson, Connor Diocese, told the synod: "The Egyptians had the boils and locusts, we in the Church of Ireland have Drumcree."