THE QUEENS LIE: The Holy See contributed immensely to the Peace Process in Northern Ireland

An outright lie.

The Queen in September 2010 made the bizarre statement that the Holy See helped bring about the "dramatic improvement in the situation" in Northern Ireland which had been torn apart by religious terrorism and hatred based on the Catholic and Protestant sectarianism. Many Unionists expressed astonishment at her absurd claim. The Irish and British governments helped end the Troubles. They did it because the island was sick of the fighting and killing and not because the Holy See condemned the Troubles.
 
At least the pope said, "In more recent years, the international community has followed closely events in Northern Ireland which have led to the signing of the Good Friday Agreement and the devolution of powers to the Northern Ireland Assembly. Your Majesty's government and the government of Ireland, together with the political, religious and civil leaders of Northern Ireland, have helped give birth to a peaceful resolution of the conflict there." Even he could see no reason to accept her compliment. The Holy See did nothing specific except condemn the violence. He knew the Holy See could not be praised for what it had not done. And besides the Church protected Father James Chesney who was suspected of being involved in the Claudy bombing.
 
The Queen of England said that the Holy See contributed to the peace process in Northern Ireland.
 
The assertion that the Holy See furthered the peace process in Northern Ireland is trampling on the blood of all those who died in the troubles.
 
The Holy See was at the root of the problems. It was delighted at the Irish Free State Constitution that endorsed Catholic doctrine and gave the Roman Church special status. It appointed and supported the Archbishop of Dublin John Charles McQuaid who virtually ruled the nation. Dancing and eroticism in movies and contraception and divorce were all banned. All that antagonised the Unionists in the North and caused such a rift that it lead to war between Catholic nationalist and Protestant unionist. The Church ensured that history taught in schools was biased in favour of Catholicism. It banned Catholics from attending the funerals of non-Roman Catholics. The Holy See seems softer today but the legacy remains.
 
The Holy See pleading for peace did not help the peace process. The IRA stopped the terrorism because everybody and it was sick of the violence and not because they cared about what the Holy See had to say.
 
John Paul II came to Ireland in 1979 to beg it to remain true to Catholicism. If it had listened, contraception would never have been liberalised and homosexuality would still be a crime. All he did was confirm the Protestants of Northern Ireland in their fears in the midst of the troubles.