Plea for Welsh mines by Archbishop

by Jack O'Sullivan
THE CHURCH'S role in bringing a solution to the coal dispute deepened this week as
Archbishop John Ward of Cardiff made an impassioned plea for the mining communities of Wales and condemned violence on all sides — from pickets and police.
And he included in his condemnation a repudiation of the "violence" which he said preceded any picket line strife. This "violence" was directed at "peoples lives and opportunities" by an economy which was failing in its provision of services and jobs to the people of the archdiocese.
Of pit violence he said: "1 have seen horrifying scenes abroad and I always felt proud that it did not happen in Britain. I never thought that I would see that sort of thing in Britain and it saddens and horrifies me.
"And I am sure the police are as disturbed to be in that position as anyone. It is certainly not the police force that attracted them in the beginning", said the Archbishop.
Archbishop Ward's comments followed his pastoral letter on Sunday in which he said: "We Christians do violence to truth if we remain silent or indifferent about such issues as prolonged unemployment, and the growing hardship caused by decreasing social services. This part of the country has known high levels of unemployment for far too long.•'
He argued that the valley communities of Wales "are threatened more than before; their loss would be the destruction of a special part of the culture and soul of Wales. Why must we experience violence before the voices of decent, hardworking people are heard''" asked the Archbishop.
Archbishop Ward, the son of a Welsh miner, forced to move to England in search of work, expanded on this theme later, saying: "People are frustrated and angry and while not fully agreeing with the methods some are using to make their feelings heard. there is sympathy; not for violence itself but in the sense that their needs are not being sufficiently listened to."
Meanwhile, following last week's meeting between the NUM and Church leaders, Archbishop Derek Worlock of Liverpool called on the National Coal Board and the National Unon of Miners to return to the negotiating table.
But this week NCB officials said that new negotiations were "unlikely" and did not envisage talks with the Church either. A spokesman of the Church of England, which sponsored last week's meeting said that there had been no approach to them from the NCB.