Patrick the politician?

What do you think Patrick, St Patrick that is, would think about the partition of Ireland? What would he have to say about priestly celibacy or the doctrine of the real presence? Do you think he would approve of the flying of the Union flag or the Tricolour of the Irish Republic? Did he speak Irish or English?

Why, you may ask, would anyone be asking questions like these? After all we have no reason to think that Patroick was even interested in the politics of his own day. He was a religious leader and his sphere of interest was in the spiritual realm. He was not even an Irishman butb then neither was Dev and unlike the unionists of our day he was not even born on this island. When he was growing up and when he ministered to the people of Ireland the label of Protestant or Catholic, or even Ropman Catholic had no meaning.

Is it not ironic that the flag that many will desire to take to the celebrations on the 17th March, [hopefully they will be disciplined and see evvery reason to take no flags with them] is not welcomed by the majority of people within this modern province of Ulster and yet so many fly it. It is not welcomed by the Republican section because it represents a PARTITIONIST Ireland and it is not welc0med by the unionist sector because it represents a brewak with the rest of the UK and rule from Rome. This is ironic when you take a look at the flag- on it is represented the two religious communities in equal measure even though they are certainly not numerically equal. Is it not also ironic theat the Union flag which clearly recognises the flag of St Patrick, is not welcomed by the Republicans and forgotten by the unionists.

If the city hall is bedecked with the tricolour on the 17th of March the cross- community aspect will be lost and there will be a danger of someone somewhere reacting and causing trouble which will send community relations back by years. It is time for Protestants to re-capture Patrick- for too ,ong he has been seen as a catholic or nationalist saint when he is no such thing- his sainthood is solely based on his faith in Christ and nothing else. Patrick ids our saint and he could be a figure of unity instead of disunity.

It is also time for the gaelicisation of Patrick to cease- we need to make him a modern figure for a modern Ireland. With all due respect we should stop misusing him for our own political purposes

Patrick was a man of faith in Christ and his ministry was one of reconciliation ans that is our ministry also. Christ destroyed all the barriers between God and man and between Jew and Gentile, male and female, slave and free. March the 17th could be a day when this community is turned round, when we show the world that it is possible to differ and yet respect each other and that we are, at last, growing up to be a mature political people- no one is being asked to end their political convictions just to realise that not everyone shares them. have lived in the Republic of ireland for nearly 15 years and I come from Northen Irealand and have returned to Belfast and know that it is possible to live as a peculiar people and even to revel in that distinction.

Lets depoliticise this man Patrick and celebrate his gospel message- the message of Christ in a new Ireland with a new breed of Irishmen!!