Brendan O’ReganThe Church is at its most attractive when faith is combined with service, at its worst when it is combined with arrogance or domination.
I was prompted to these thoughts by Peter McVerry: A View From the Basement (RTÉ 1, Tuesday of last week), a worthwhile profile of the Jesuit human rights campaigner. Looking back, he reckoned he got his commitment to faith from his mother and to service from his father.
He taught in a regular school before his exposure to deprivation in North Dublin inner city drew him to work with homeless young boys and men, seeking to provide them with shelter, a home and ultimately dignity.
We heard from several of those he helped over the years, and it was particularly touching to see one these, Paddy Fay, getting a key to his own home after so many years of homelessness – the same Paddy who used to rob from Fr McVerry until trust and respect was built up.
It wasn’t just the story of the activist priest; it was in part a potted history of Dublin’s problems with homelessness and drug addiction.
Other figures like TD Tony Gregory figured in the story – apparently he was anti-clerical and yet had Fr McVerry, whom he very much respected, speaking at his funeral. Both social problems are ongoing and Fr McVerry was particularly keen to point that the drug problem was likely to increase the level of violence in the city.
Artistically the documentary had a pleasing leisurely pace, with useful captions to move the narrative along. I wasn’t convinced of the value of having recent interviews with Fr McVerry in black and white, but the archive footage was useful, a sort of ‘reeling in the years’ with a social conscience.
The documentary was strong on that social element but I’d like to have seen more on his more specifically priestly work, though we did get a glimpse of him saying Mass. He was described as being a conformist in his school days, but that certainly isn’t the case anymore. However, the film didn’t really touch on any controversies apart from his early clashes with public officials and dissatisfaction with government policies.
John Waters holds back even less in excoriating public figures. He was interviewed in an important debate on fathers’ rights on Talking Point (Newstalk, last Saturday morning), and lambasted ‘deeply reactionary’ politicians who just followed trendy agendas dictated by the media and multinational corporations.
The debate was prompted by an interruption to the Rose of Tralee by a fathers’ rights campaigner dressed as a priest. That guy, Matt O’Connor, was interviewed as well and came across as much more reasonable than his stunt would suggest. Sarah Carey handled the discussion with her characteristic good humour so the debate was both robust and informative.
I can’t say the same for a discussion last Thursday on Liveline (RTÉ 1) when a representative of the pro-life counselling service in the wars for questionable approaches to their life saving work, stirred it up with presenter Joe Duffy. I’d say many pro-lifers were embarrassed, frustrated and cringing. Other ardent pro-life supporters may have been cheering, but it is the middle ground of good will that needs to be won over and this extreme and even rude approach won’t achieve that. Own goal I’d say.
The not unrelated issues of IVF and involuntary childlessness were discussed on last weekend’s Sunday Sequence (BBC Radio Ulster). What I liked was the respectful diversity of views, including the view that IVF had moral implications and would be against the principles of some people, including in relation to unused embryos.
I was impressed by the gentle and dignified testimony of Lizzie Lowry, a vicar’s wife who had faced the frustration of many miscarriages.
Also on that show former hostage Terry Waite was interviewed about a new edition of his book Taken on Trust. What was interesting was his current take on events in the Middle East. He had no time for dictators but thought the West was naïve to expect an enthusiastic rush to democracy when dictators that had held disparate factions together were toppled.
He brought the origins of current conflict back to the way Western powers redrew boundaries after the fall of the Ottoman Empire and Word War I, a process that didn’t take into account the cultural realities of the area.
We continue to suffer the fallout.
Pick of the week
SUNDAY MORNING LIVE
BBC One Sunday, September 18, 10am
Naga Munchetty and a panel of guests discuss the moral and ethical issues of the day.
CONVERSATIONS THE WORLD OVER WITH RAYMOND ARROYO
EWTN Thursday, September 22, 5pm
Academy Award Winning Actor Robert Duvall discusses his film career, and why he feels drawn to films that focus on faith, forgiveness, and redemption.
CHILDREN OF THE REVOLUTION
RTÉ 1 Wednesday (night) September 21, 2.05am
Another chance to see Joe Duffy’s moving documentary about the 40 children who lost their lives during the 1916 conflict.