Cardinal criticises Protestant archbishop's theology
Cardinal Desmond Connell has gone on record to criticise the senior Protestant churchman in Dublin, Trinity College and a gay rights activist.
Cardinal Connell, who is also Archbishop of Dublin, made the remarks in an interview which is to appear in a new book, The Irish Soul In Dialogue, scheduled for publication next week.
In the interview he described his Church of Ireland opposite number in Dublin, Archbishop Walton Empey, as not having ‘‘much theological competence’’.
And - in the context of a comment on Dr Empey’s views on communion - he added: ‘‘He wouldn’t be regarded as one of their high fliers, but Protestants very often go in for a very positive theology.
‘‘Since the Second Vatican Council, we have been tending in that direction, unfortunately.’’
The Cardinal’s references to Trinity College - which until part-way through the last century refused to admit Catholics - related to an event in 1988 that marked Dublin’s millennium.
He declared: ‘‘Trinity insulted me and through me the Catholic people of Dublin because we were celebrating the millennium of the city of Dublin and they invited me to come along and watch Donald Caird (the former Church of Ireland Archbishop) receiving an honorary degree.
"That’s their own business, if they want to, but to celebrate the centenary of the city of Dublin by awarding the Protestant Archbishop with an honorary degree and leaving me sitting down, was a downright insult.
‘‘So I have a certain view of Trinity. I think you will understand why.’’
He talked of gay rights campaigner and former Trinity College lecturer David Norris, now a member of Ireland’s Seanad upper parliamentary house.
In a section of the interview dealing with a thesis he had produced, Cardinal Connell said he had had to look up ‘‘what the angels had to say’’.
Subsequently, he said, he made a statement against the practice of homosexuality.
He went on: ‘‘Mr Norris said I knew more about angels than fairies.
‘‘But the whole thing was based on solid research, which was recognised except by Trinity.’’
