Diocesan News
World Council of Churches Visitors Get a Flavour of Church in Ireland
Representatives of the World Council of Churches were in Dublin on Tuesday as part of a two day visit to Ireland. Dr Clare Amos, Programme Executive for Interreligious Dialogue and Cooperation with the WCC, Marianne Edjersten, WCC Director of Communications, and the Revd Garland Pierce, American Methodist and Senior Assistant to the WCC General Secretary, were in Belfast and Dublin as part of the organisation’s mission to visit all its member churches over a period of three years.
Hosted by the Archbishop of Dublin, the visitors met in Church of Ireland House in Dublin on Tuesday morning where they heard from the Chief Officer of the RCB, Adrian Clements; members of Dublin Council of Churches; and William Devas, CEO of the Glencree Centre for Peace and Reconciliation. Also present were Canon Niall Sloane and the Revd Dr William Olhausen, both advisors to the Archbishop.
In the afternoon they travelled to Dublin City University where Dr Anne Lodge, Principal of the Church of Ireland College of Education, and Philip McKinley, Church of Ireland Chaplain at DCU, gave presentations.
Representatives of the World Council of Churches with representatives of the Dublin Council of Churches during their visit to Dublin. L–R: The Revd Garland Pierce (WCC), Dr Clare Amos (WCC), the Revd Godfrey O’Donnell (DCC), Marianne Edjersten, (WCC), Archbishop Michael Jackson (Archbishop of Dublin), Rachel Bewley Bateman (DCC), Fr Damien McNiece (DCC), Uta Raab (DCC) and the Revd Dr William Olhausen.
Adrian Clements outlined the functions of Church House, as well as issues faced by the Church and plans the Church has for the future. WCC delegates expressed an interest in the Long Term Church programme and Archbishop Michael Jackson spoke of the Church’s aim to move from individual initiative to shared opportunity and engaging with secularism.
Dr Olhausen also highlighted the Come&C project in Dublin and Glendalough which is engaging with people on a number of different levels. The importance of cathedrals was explained by Canon Sloane who said that St Patrick’s Cathedral is one of the top five tourist attractions in Ireland but they see the mission of the cathedral first and foremost as a place of worship.
Representing Dublin Council of Churches were its chairman, Fr Damien McNiece, of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dublin; former chair and former president of the Irish Council of Churches, Fr Godfrey O’Donnell of the Romanian Orthodox Church; Rachel Bewley Bateman of the Society of Friends; and Uta Raab of the Church of Ireland. They gave a brief history of the Dublin Council of Churches and its current functions and spoke of ongoing discussions between members on how to mark the centenary of the 1916 Rising ethically and inclusively.
William Devas gave the background of the Glencree Centre for Peace and Reconciliation and their ethos, which continues today, of facilitating dialogue between people with opposing views. He detailed a new initiative in which they are working with academics to prevent and reduce religion related violence around the world. He also spoke of ongoing work in Northern Ireland.
In DCU in the afternoon, Dr Anne Lodge told the visitors of the work of CICE in training teachers for schools in the Protestant sector. She explained the reasons for incorporation with DCU to form a new Institute of Education and the process which will enable CICE to maintain, protect and preserve its ethos in its new setting. She said Dublin City University had publicly expressed its commitment to progressive pluralism and had worked with CICE and two other incorporating institutions to develop denominational centres with a unique governance structure within the secular university.
Philip McKinley gave an overview of religious practice in Ireland today. He outlined a double process at play: both a decline of religious practice, but also a diversification of religious practice. Highlighting the 2011 Census figures, he showed how this pattern is set to increase and continue in the foreseeable future, with growing numbers of those identifying as ‘no religion’, but also of those identifying as Eastern Orthodox, and ECP (Evangelical, Charismatic and Pentecostal) and belonging to World Religions.
Diocesan Communications Officer, Dublin & Glendalough
087 2356472
Contact Details
Lynn Glanville
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