The Catholic Church and the Northern Ireland Troubles, 1968-1998

by Margaret M. Scull

Until surprisingly recently the history of the Irish Catholic Church during the Northern Irish Troubles was written by Irish priests and bishops and was commemorative, rather than analytical. This study uses the Troubles as a case study to evaluate the role of the Catholic Church in mediating conflict.

During the Troubles, these priests and bishops often worked behind the scenes, acting as go-betweens for the British government and republican paramilitaries, to bring about a peaceful solution. However, this study also looks more broadly at the actions of the American, Irish and English Catholic Churches, as well as that of the Vatican, to uncover the full impact of the Church on the conflict. This critical analysis of previously neglected state, Irish, and English Catholic Church archival material changes our perspective on the role of a religious institution in a modern conflict.

256 pages, Hardcover

First published November 5, 2019

Reviews

[Jason Blean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just as in protestant denominations during The Troubles, there were rogue church leaders who were directly involved in supporting terrorist groups; these clergy, though unrepresentative of the majority often remain in the public psyche as somehow typical. Necessarily, many peacemakers and mediators who were working from both Protestant and Catholic churches in their communities with paramilitaries in efforts to resolve the conflict did so behind the scenes. As such, a book such as this chronicling the role of church leaders during the conflict is much needed. While many of the political leaders took the credit for peace (and deservedly so for playing their part), it is perhaps more fitting that those who missed out on such public acclaim but were nevertheless totally committed to peace be acknowledged, albeit belatedly. This book is a very useful and well-researched resource for those seeking to learn about the many leaders in the Catholic Church who courageously and perseveringly worked to bring an end to the killing and how their roles changed through the decades from frequent public institutional statements to individual priests and sisters working within their communities in a personal capacity to advocate and bring a better future. This work is also useful in helping chart the course of the place of the Irish Catholic Church in Irish society from an Ireland in the 1960s in which the Catholic Church had a hugely influential place and power over society, both socially and politically, to the secularised Ireland of the 21st century, analysing the effect secularisation and the child abuse scandals and mother and baby homes exposés in the 1990s and beyond had on the public perception of the Catholic Church.