Comment and debate on faith issues in Scotland April / May 2018 Issue No 275 www.openhousescotland.co.uk £2.50 Easter edition Editorial Easter people The Easter message of peace is proclaimed in the face of a hurrying back to Jerusalem to share the story of their deeply divided and violent world. We see its impact in the encounter and they embark on a new phase of their life. Gospel accounts of Jesus’ followers in the days after his The story of the road to Emmaus is a story of the death, as the horror of the cross gave way to the dawning ongoing process of conversion. It recalls the image of the possibility of resurrection. We are told that two of his pilgrim church, always in need of renewal, struggling to friends left Jerusalem after the crucifixion and met a respond to new challenges, never quite reaching stranger on the road. The stranger listens to their account fulfilment but spurred on by faith and the promise of new of the terrible events which had taken place in the city life. It is on this road we meet the peacemakers, patiently and dashed all their hopes. ‘We were hoping he was the creating the possibilities of new endings in places of one to set Israel free’ (Luke 24.21). The friends also conflict. Their stories are threaded through this Easter report the strange tale of the women and the empty tomb, edition of Open House, from those who seek to ensure and their claim that Jesus was alive. the integrity of the Good Friday Agreement and a just The stranger takes their story and reframes it in a way future for Europe, to those who practice non-violent that opens up the possibility that what the women say is action in Israel-Palestine. They are all committed to true. The new telling, from the perspective of a new dialogue and engagement with the world, even at its most ending, prompts a new response. The friends are soon difficult and hostile. They are the Easter people. Cardinal Keith O’Brien Archbishop O’Brien was an unlikely candidate for a red entirely unknown to the average Scot. hat from Pope John Paul II. Rumour had it at the time After he became Cardinal it appeared that the that the honour was intended for Archbishop Edwin Archbishop was intending to continue with his liberal O’Brien, the hawkish Ordinary of the United States ways. He asked the Church of Scotland representative at military (he became a Cardinal later). Keith O’Brien was his elevation in Rome (Open House contributor John liberally inclined, had questioned the celibacy law for Miller) to say grace at the celebratory meal. He was the Catholic priesthood and the possession of nuclear arms guest of choice at many ecumenical functions. He made by the UK. Scotland was hardly red hat country. Cardinal clear his support for Scottish nationalism. The Vatican Gray had been the chair of ICEL, responsible for was unhappy and indicated it required more from a producing a missal for English speaking countries after Prince of their Church. the Second Vatican Council. Cardinal Winning had saved That was the turning point. A man who was gay the Pope’s UK visit at the time of the Argentinian crisis parroted the church’s anti-homosexual rhetoric. Then Benedict XVI unexpectedly resigned, and Cardinal and was the strongest anti-abortion voice in Britain. O’Brien’s behaviour became front page news. The It was also known, at least to some of his clergy, that Cardinal did not go to the conclave to choose a new Keith O’Brien was gay. In this respect it might be worth pope. emphasising the difference between homosexuality and His penance was walking his dog in another country. paedophilia. Before he was made Archbishop he was in His contemporary in Edinburgh, former Episcopal Primus charge of young boys for five years in Blairs College. No Richard Holloway, likened his treatment to that by the reproach was made about his behaviour there. KGB. His funeral took place in Newcastle, where he had It is also worth pointing out that if Catholic clergy obey died in hospital. His fall from grace shocked many their promise of celibacy their sexual orientation is Catholics. It confirmed to others that the Church is unlikely to be revealed. They may be unaware of it unable to grapple with its own contradictions. His career themselves. When he resigned his post, Cardinal O’Brien raises questions for another time and place. announced that his behaviour had fallen below the expected level. It was never made clear exactly what had Fr Jock Dalrymple, a priest of the Archdiocese of St taken place with older students in the senior seminary at Andrews and Edinburgh, reflects on the impact Cardinal Drygrange when he was Spiritual Director. Drink neither O’Brien had on the archdiocese and on some of the explains nor excuses bad behaviour but its effects are not questions it raises for the church. See page 14. 2 OPEN HOUSE April 2018 Contents Palestinian liberation theology MIKE MINETER Page 3 Hearing the Good News in Palestine Hearing the Good Mike Mineter Page 5 The cult of the gun Michael L. O’Neill News in Palestine Page 6 The heartstone pilgrimage Ian Campbell A Catholic layman highlights the work of a theological Page 7 Glasgow’s honorary saint centre in East Jerusalem in promoting peace with justice John Irvine in Israel-Palestine through non-violent action. Page 8 Reform and unity Mary Cullen Page 9 A Scottish education milestone As I write, the Palestinian Land Day wrong and merely provides an excuse Stephen McKinney has been commemorated with a mass for yet more violent response; be non-violent protest in Gaza. Land Day passive which might meet Israel’s Page 10 Text, context and the search recalls the internationally recognised definition of peace but will not stop for truth right of return for Palestinian refugees, the settler colonialist expansion; Jeff Bagnall of whom about 1.3 million are leave, which the oppression seeks to Page 12 The Augustinian option crammed into the open air prison make happen by destabilising and of Gaza. demoralising every Palestinian; or Paul Graham During the protest, Israeli forces actively resist, non-violently. This is Page 13 Poetry killed 15 people and injured 1500, the option which is increasingly being John McPartlin over-filling hospitals already depleted chosen, often due to its effectiveness as by ten years of blockade, power well as its morality. Israelis are often Page 14 Cardinal Keith O’Brien outages, and water shortages caused quoted as saying, ‘We know how to Jock Dalrymple by Israel’s extraction of ground water. respond to violence, but not Gandhi’. Page 15 Notebook No Israelis were reported to be injured. Non-violent resistance is expressed Non-violent protests were met with in many ways. Protests are the most Page 17 Letters live fire across a fence so resilient that evident and the arts keep alive the Page 18 Reviews: books, film, music only tunnels have ever defeated it. vibrant Palestinian culture, narratives It is 70 years since 750,000 and spirit, despite attempts to demolish Page 24 Moments in time Palestinians were forced out of more them. Merely existing is an act of than 400 villages and towns that were resistance, despite the pressure to leave; then erased from the map (http:// as is keeping and rebuilding connection www.palestineremembered.com). to the land, and taking opportunities Palestinians call this the Nakba, the to improve life despite the occupation Thank you to all those who contributed catastrophe, and it is recalled on 15th that obstructs every aspect of life and to this edition of Open House. May. In the Balfour declaration of well-being. A growing number of Open House, which was founded in 1917 Britain promised that in Palestine Israeli and American Jewish groups Dundee in 1990, is an independent there would be a homeland for Jews challenge Israel. Haaretz, the website journal of comment and debate on faith (Open House, Nov-Dec 2017). Israel of Israel’s oldest daily newspaper, issues in Scotland. It is rooted in the decided this was to be a land solely reports that hundreds marched in Tel reforms of the Second Vatican Council for them, and embarked on policies Aviv on Easter Sunday, in solidarity of settler colonialism undertaken by with Gaza. (1962-65) and committed to the Zionists who contend that God is Reclaiming Christianity from its dialogue which began at the Council - deemed to have given the land for all Zionism of 1948 is one focus of within the Catholic Church, in other time to Israel alone. In this view Old the Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation churches, and with all those committed Testament Israel is identified with the Theology Center. The word Sabeel to issues of justice and peace. new state, and members of the Jewish can be translated as ‘the way’ or ‘a www.openhousescotland.co.uk faith worldwide are viewed as having a spring of water’. Early Christians were right to citizenship in that state. called the people of the Way and Jesus Cover photo by Fiona Lough. I was told in the West Bank that is the spring of life giving water. In there are four responses to the Israeli November 2016, I called in on Sabeel oppression: be violent, but that is in its East Jerusalem office for the April 2018 OPEN HOUSE 3 open Eucharist and lunch which takes ‘30 years ago there was a need to before getting involved in politics’.