My new biography, Unity Pilgrim: The Life of Fr Gerry Reynolds CSsR, tells the story of Fr Gerry Reynolds, a Redemptorist priest who served more than three decades in Belfast’s Clonard Monastery. His role in peacemaking is not as well-known as that of his Redemptorist colleague, Fr Alec Reid, who was the pivotal broker in the secret Hume-Adams talks, which are considered to be the first steps in bringing the IRA into the peace process.
Reynolds assisted Reid behind the scenes and also developed a public ecumenical (Christian unity) ministry. This was important at a time when the Rev Ian Paisley was using a ferocious blend of religion and politics to foster division.
“The only organisation that can do anything is the Church”
Sinn Féin’s Gerry Adams convinced Reid to act as a secret broker by telling him that “the only organisation that can do anything is the Church – the Church is the only organisation that has the status, the credibility, the lines of communication.” Adams had grasped that Reid’s position as a Redemptorist gave him a trustworthiness that opened doors to people with power. Reid and Reynolds also had built up credibility through their patient ministries among republican prisoners.
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Article originally appeared on RTE’s Brainstorm.
The featured image of Clonard Monastery has been used courtesy a Creative Commons license.