Churches disown Paisley

Protestant leaders in Ireland have emphatically rejected the Rev Ian Paisley's claim to represent Protestant opinion and have affirmed the Pope's right to visit Northern Ireland.
A statement this week from the Irish Council of Churches said that provided the proper protocol for a visit to the United Kingdom was observed, "the inclusion of Northern Ireland in the Pope's itinerary would he in accordance with the traditions of civil and religious liberty for all which Protestants cherish."
It added: "Civil and religious liberty is not tested by slogans but by actions. It is sheer dishonesty to claim it for oneself and deny it to others. We consequently deny Mr Paisley's claim to speak for the Protestant people, north and south."
Rev Jack Weir, clerk to the Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland said that if there were any question of the Pope going to the North, it was extraordinary that it was not made clear with the first announcement. He said that to include the North now in the itinerary would be a diplomatic mistake which Mr Paisley would benefit from.
Dr Weir explained that some Protestants would be concerned about the Pope's visit, although few would go along with "the ranting of Paisley": "Reactions among ordinary Protestants are mixed. Some feel it is an occasion for showing good will, while others have some sympathy with Mr Paisley's aims but not his methods," he said.
There was some concern about the implications of miring triumphalist Catholicism with Irish_nationalism,.he said.
Dr Weir expressed some concern also about linking the papal pastoral visit with the pilgrimages to Knock. "An overseas Catholic has pointed out recently to me that Knock is not officially recognised fully by the Catholic Church. We would question the whole context of pilgrimages because they go against what we hold."