Galway Advertiser 1984/1984_10_11/GA_11101984_E1_008.pdf 

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that k i n d of freedom of will to m a n , that is a u i t e different to denying any freedom of will to m a n . S o D e a r Sir, far as Calvin is c o n c e r n e d , he certainly main I w o u l d like to t h a n k tained p r e d e s t i n a t i o n , b u t Fr. G a r v e y for h i s h e claimed that he was c o m m e n t s o n m y profile only re-asserting the of t h e R e v . F o r r e s t . T h e position of St. A u g u s t i n e , p o i n t he took issue with is an impeccably o r t h o d o x certainly a n i m p o r t a n t theologian. one, and my only F r . G a r v e y is less t h a n hesitation in replying is fair to Milton and b a s e d o n w h e t h e r or n o t C r o m w e l l . N o w h e r e else s u c h c o m p l e x m a t t e r s can can we find, in t h e 1 7 t h c , be at all adequately treated in t h e letters so u n c o m p r o m i s i n g a plea of column without distor for t h e e x e r c i s e tion o r over-simplifica individual liberty, in the tion. Still, for w h a t it's d o m a i n of religious belief a n d practice, as that m a d e w o r t h , here goes. by M i l t o n in his treatise F i r s t , let m e clear away ' O f C i v i l P o w e r in a m i s u n d e r s t a n d i n g . It Ecclesiastical Cases'. I n was never m y i n t e n t i o n to this passage Milton suggest that the principle explicitly links the of liberty of conscience principle with P r o t e s t a n t was the exclusive ism: p r o p e r t y of t h e P r o t e s t a n t "Seeing . . . that no man, no tradition. W h a t I did synod, no session of men, m e a n to suggest was t h a t , though called the Church, historically, t h e Protestant can judge definitively the tradition has t e n d e d to sense of scripture to another man's conscience, which is emphasise liberty of well known to be a general individual conscience maxim of the Protestant m o r e t h a n t h e Catholic religion, it follows plainly, C h u r c h h a s , a t least p r i o r that he who holds in religion to t h e S e c o n d Vatican that belief or those opinions which his conscience and C o u n c i l . O r , to p u t this utmost understanding a n o t h e r way, t h e C a t h o l i c appear with most evidence C h u r c h has stressed t h e or probability in the scrip principle of a u t h o r i t y , e.g. ture, though to others he t h e a u t h o r i t y of t h e early seem erroneous, can no C h u r c h F a t h e r s , general more be justly censured for a heretic than his Church Councils, and, censurers". most importantly, the central role occupied by It is difficult for Irish t h e P o p e in m a t t e r s of p e o p l e to take a both doctrine a n d dispassionate view of practice; whereas t h e C r o m w e l l . T h e evidence P r o t e s t a n t tradition has does suggest, however, t e n d e d to recognise the that C r o m w e l l tried to c e n t r a l i m p o r t a n c e of t h e p u r s u e a policy of individual's freedom of conciliation as P r o t e c t o r , conscience, asserting its that involved a greater superiority to merely d e g r e e o f d e facto h u m a n traditions, and to tolerance t h a n previous t h e a s s u m e d a u t h o r i t y of g o v e r n m e n t s . N o t only fallible h u m a n teachers. did he seek to welcome

Protestant Tradition

But in 1660, w h e n the Long Parliament was restored, M i l t o n spoke of it as the "recoverer of o u r liberty after a short b u t scandalous night of, i n t e r r u p t i o n " . And in a I treatise addressed to the members he warned against concentrating power in the h a n d s of a single ruler. M i l t o n was not a h e r o - w o r s h i p p e r . T h a t g o v e r n m e n t s of a P r o t e s t a n t colouring have enacted legislation that may be described as repressive or discrimin atory n o one would d e n y . But this can be equally said of g o v e r n m e n t s a n d states of a Catholic colouring. Between the Inquisition in Spain a n d the Penal Laws in Ireland there is n o t much difference. T h e real question concerns g r o w t h , evolution, and those tendencies operative in history that can only be detected with h i n d s i g h t . A n d a good case could be m a d e for arguing that t h e t e n d e n c y of g o v e r n m e n t s of a P r o t e s t a n t colouring has been in the direction of greater safeguards o n t h e e x e r c i s e of the individual right of conscience. T h e historian A. O . C o c k s h u t argues that t h e activities of liberal thinkers like J . S . Mill would be u n t h i n k able without the b a c k g r o u n d of the Reforma tion a n d the d e v e l o p m e n t of P r o t e s t a n t i s m in E n g l a n d from t h e 17th c e n t u r y . F o r Mill a n d others, it was natural to see "Victorian E n g l a n d generally, and themselves in particular, as the c r o w n a n d t r i u m p h of a long process of theological purification and moral i m p r o v e m e n t , which had begun with E r a s m u s a n d Luther". M u c h more could be said--about t h e rise of the critical s t u d y of the Bible, for e x a m p l e , a l m o s t entirely within the P r o t e s t a n t tradition. A n d all of what I have said is o p e n to a r g u m e n t . But that the Protestant tradition is an i m p o r t a n t one, and that, furthrmore, t h e r e is at its h e a r t t h e principle of liberty of conscience, seems t o be worth considering and even learning from in these t r o u b l e d t i m e s . Y o u r s sincerely, Jeff O ' C o n n e l l , Kiltartan Cottage, Parkmore, K i n vara.

A Quiet

Man

LETTER

BOX

St. Francis and the Dean of Arts
Sir, A columnist in a sister n e w s p a p e r sometimes e m p l o y s an u n u s u a l form for his articles o n religious subjects. H e composes dialogues b e t w e e n two imaginery characters, usually Russian, w h o in t h e course of what they have to say reveal all sorts of curious things a b o u t C o m m u n i s m a n d Christianity, the state of t h e Irish nation a n d the morals of the Galway Advertiser. L e t us see what we can d o with the g a m e . Imitation is surely the highest form of flattery. O u r conversation takes place between St. Francis of Assisi and t h e D e a n of the Arts Faculty. St. Francis is playing a flute and singing his canzones at M o o n ' s C o r n e r . T h e D e a n is one of t h e few scholars in Galway with t h e perspicacity (and sanctity) to recognise St. Francis in the guise of a busker. H e h a s , in addition, t h e historical a n d literary learning to p u t the saint straight on a few points. Dean: T h e r e ye are again. St. Francis: A h ! Little Brother D e a n ! J u s t the m a n . W e are flummoxed by t h e d e b a t e b e tween t h e Wild M e n a n d t h e Q u i e t M a n in t h e Advertiser. C a n you clarify t h e issues involved for a total o u t s i d e r in this city, like myself. T h e high u p and low d o w n of t h e m a t t e r is that this quarrel goes back a very long way. Back to St. Patrick a n d Ossian in fact. Evpn then there were m o n k s doing nixers w h o wrote u p the w h o l e tedious a r g u m e n t for a few shillings. St. Patrick we k n o w : N i x e r s we pass over in silence; b u t , h o w - y o u - s a y it -- Ossian? Ossian was o n e of a b a n d of wild pagan warriors. T h e F i a n n a w e r e , in fact, t h e dagoes of Early C h r i s t i a n Ireland. W h e n this b a n d i t i Ossian r e t u r n e d to t h e c o u n t r y after a few centuries of la dolce vita in T i r na n O g , h e was furious to find t h e whole place pacified a n d con v e r t e d to Christianity. H e m e t St. Patrick a n d h a d s o m e h a r d things to say to h i m o n t h e score of liquidating t h e snakes and t h e Wild M e n of t h e West.

D e a r Sir, I was a m u s e d , a n d even a little flattered that you have used your editorial c o l u m n to reply to my letter o n L i a m O ' F l a h e r t y . It is n o t every day one is attacked from t h e p u l p i t ! I was puzzled by the s t a t e m e n t that you were denounced from the altar. I can see, of course, that your editorial c o l u m n is a p u l p i t , which you like to t h u m p at times. But are your letter columns really an altar? M y c o m p l a i n t was that you d i d neither justice n o r h o n o u r to the memory of Liam O'Flaherty, and that you slighted Fr. McCarthy. Your 'Editor's N o t e ' makes n o a m e n d s for t h a t . A h well, I suppose t h e r e is n o p o i n t trying to get blood o u t of a turnip ! I n t h e editorial of last week, you claim to have spoken up for the respect t h a t is d u e to t h e privacy of a n aged m a n ' s spirit. I would be very h a p p y i n d e e d , if you h a d respected t h e aged m a n

in q u e s t i o n , a n d his decision to seek reconciliation with G o d a n d t h e c h u r c h . I t would be even b e t t e r if you had respected the other people involved, p a r t i c ularly F r . M c C a r t h y . But d i d n ' t . T h a t is why I wrote. As for the rest of your editorial a b o u t Wild M e n , Q u i e t M e n , the Feral Species, the poetes maudits of Q u a y Street, whoever they are, Pastor Niemoeller and the N a z i s -- i t is all very e n t e r t a i n i n g as a piece of projective fantasising. W h y not t h r o w in les existentialistes d'Eyre S q u a r e , a n d the Agst of W o o d Q u a y too? It seems you want to c o m b i n e t h e roles of the poete maudit, following his o w n sensibility, a n d the p r o p h e t speaking for the universal moral law. Baudelaire a n d A m o s . Fried snowballs ! Well, I was talking of m u c h s i m p l e r things, like honesty, generosity a n d fidelity. Y o u r s sincerely, T h e Quiet Man, alias Colin G a r v e y , o.f.m. RESCUE GRATITUDE Dear Sir, I would be grateful if you would allow me space in your paper to thank all the good people who helped to rescue me from Lough Corrib on Sunday the 30th of September. Words cannot express how grateful my family and myself are to the Gardai and to all the people who took part in the rescue, those who phoned to offer their good wishes and to the doctors and nurses of the Regional Hospital. It would be impossible to thank them all individually as there are so many. I hope they will accept this as an expression of my thanks and appreciation. The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass will be offered for their intentions. Des O'Halloran.

Dean:

Thank You
Dear Sir, Through your columns I would like to make contact with two very nice people. Last Friday night, I got a bad fall from my bike on the Renmore Rd. Those two kind people stopped their car, took myself, and my bike, to the hospital and waited until I insisted that I was alright and for them to goTheir kindness and caring a t t i t u d e m a d e all t h e difference to me, as I had got a terrible fright, and I d o not even know their names. I do want to express my sincerest gratitude to them, and if they care to ring me, No. 24236,1 would love the opportunity to do so in person. Thank you,

St. Francis:

Dean:

F r . G a r v e y expresses "some doubts about the place of this principle i n t h e founding fathers of Protestantism", and p o i n t s to L u t h e r ' s ' D e Servo Arbitrio' ('The Bondage of the Will') a n d Calvin's a d h e r e n c e to the doctrine of predestination as e v i d e n c e . Quite unintentionally, I ' m s u r e , F r . G a r v e y has m i s r e p r e sented L u t h e r ' s position by simply referring to this single book. L u t h e r also w r o t e a treatise entitled 'The Freedom of a Christian M a n ' . L u t h e r used t h e - language of p a r a d o x in talking a b o u t t h e relationship b e t w e e n G o d a n d M a n , and this has led s o m e to accuse h i m of m a k i n g c o n t r a dictory statements. L u t h e r never m e a n t to deny that which is experienced as the psychological freedom of t h e will. And that is what most people mean by free will--the ability to choose between different possi bilities of action. W h a t L u t h e r is concerned with in t h e t w o books I've m e n t i o n e d is t h e meta physical / theological question of m a n ' s free will i n relation t o G o d . If h e concludes b y denying

the Jews back into t h e c o u n t r y -- t h e y had been driven o u t d u r i n g the reign of R i c h a r d I after he had confiscated their finances for t h e s u p p o r t of t h e First C r u s a d e , b u t the F r e n c h Ambassador gave his opinion that English Catholics under the Protectorate fared better than under previous rulers. Of course it cannot be denied that the laws were harsh under Cromwell. But that is d u e at least as m u c h t o t h e political situation, w h e r e rebellion t h r e a t e n e d t h e stable rule C r o m w e l l tried to provide. A n d finally, the insinuation that M i l t o n was hypocritical in p r o c l a i m i n g religious liberty while s u p p o r t i n g t h e " d i c t a t o r s h i p of Cromwell" cannot be justified. Milton supported C r o m w e l l as long as C r o m w e l l a p p e a r e d to be serving t h e cause of liberty. I n his ' S e c o n d Defence of the People of England', Milton ad dresses C r o m w e l l in these words:

St. Francis:

W e can scarcely believe it. W h a t evidence can you p r o d u c e for such an o u t r a g e o u s assertion? Dean: T h e r e is a p o e m , first w r i t t e n d o w n in t h e twelfth c e n t u r y , called Agallamh na Senorach which tells it h o w it was. It is, of c o u r s e , m u c h earlier t h a n the twelfth century. St. Francis: You m i g h t sing it. Dean: (Sings in M i d d l e Irish).

"Eaten Bread Soon U.S. competition previously and has to defeat again at Forgotten" International level. . . It
Dear Sir, When you folks read this week's letter I'll be landing in the U.S.A., however I must in all fairness try to make it understood that I do not go anywhere uninvited. People stop me and ask " H o w is the Oyster Festival G o i n g " and today Monday I was asked "How come you didn't attend the Oyster Festival"? The answer is simple: No invitation." I was disappointed especially having b e e n associated with the Oyster Festival in an endeavour to promote it in the U.S.; oh well as the 81 year old lady r e m a r k e d " E a t e n bread soon forgotten", at least it was great that Galway City hosted the festival this year. While on the subject of the International Oyster "Shucking" Competition, it surprises me that the U.S. National Champion c o m p e t e s against s o m e other Americans, possibly those whom he defeated in does not make sense. I believe Clarenbridge should hold the National o p e n i n g competition in A p r i l a n d i n v i t e all Irish/Americans, and Irish in other parts of the world to compete there, the winner to be the Irish r e p r e s e n t a t i v e at the Galway International Festival in Quay St. Yes, I hope everyone knows that my interest in G a l w a y is s o l e l y for progress of our city and being independent allows me to criticise. I'm sure in time those who now know what transpired because of my criticism will someday make it known to the public. Galway needs a Public Relations Officer, one who can and will officially see that Galway gets the best publicity from those in authority to do so. Yours, Willy Fahy.

Loughrea Neglect
Sir,

When Fionn and the Fian lived, moorland was dearer to them than Church. Sweet to them was the song of maidens, the sound of Church bells they thought not sweet. Sweet to them was ale, flowing in streams . . . St. Francis: S t o p ! E n o u g h ! W h a t b e c a m e of this notorious anti-clerical, h a r d - d r i n k i n g a n d p h i l a n d e r i n g Ossian? Dean: St. Patrick c o n v e r t e d h i m t o Christianity in his old age (he was 365 years old to be exact). But d o n ' t tell t h a t to t h e editor of t h e Advertiser. I t m i g h t u p s e t h i m . St. Francis: O u r O r d e r is k n o w n for its great charity, discretion a n d humility. Signed: I n t r a M u r a l Editorial Board.

Tom Hyland does not mention Loughrea in his "You cannot be truly free comments on the industrial war in the unless we are free too; for j o b such is the nature of things, Galway/Mayo region. The that he who entrenches on worst affected area was the liberty of others, is the Tuam according to the first to lose his own and article. Loughrea judging become a slave". from the article does not

exist with almost a thousand p e o p l e r e g i s t e r e d as unemployed and the input from the I.D.A. a complete blank where jobs are concerned. Please Tom give the right facts and don't w h i t e w a s h Your dismal

record. Yours sincerely, Maurice Sweeney, President L o u g h r e a C h a m b e r of Commerce.