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These documents were scanned, collated and catalogued by Ruth Murray, Annabel Harris, Isha Pareek, Eleanor Williams, Antoine Yenk, Harriet Carter, Oliver Nicholls, Kieran Wetherwick, and Cerys Griffiths.
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ROM/953/89/SH FROM: R O MILES US(POL) 13 December 1989
cc PS/SofS (L&B) [3&4] PS/PUS (L&B) [5&6] Mr Thomas [7] Mr J McConnell [8] Mr Daniell [9] Mr Kirk [10]
MR BURNS [1]
REID/MURRAY PAPERS
Thank you for sending me a copy of your minute on 6 December to PS/Secretary of State. If I may say so, I entirely agree with your comments recorded in paragraph 3 to the effect that this initiative seems to have nothing to offer the unionists, at whom it is ostensibly directed. Like so many initiatives from the nationalist side, it assumes that the battle can be won by persuading the unionists that they are not really unionists at all.
I also understand Mr Hume's opposition. For good reasons of personal and political amour propre, he wants to stay in control of the epic struggle for the soul of nationalism, in which he represents the forces of good. The role of the Church and Dublin is to applaud from outside the ring, not to confuse matters by stepping out in front of him.
But I am not so sure that we can go all the way with Mr Hume. If I remember rightly, Father Reid told Mr McConnell that he accepted that the initiative would not appeal to unionists, and that its real object was to give the supporters of the Provisional movement a course of action to think about other than violence. In this his objectives are very like the objectives with which Mr Hume embarked on his talks with Sinn Fein last year. Mr Hume's initiative was high risk for the SDLP, but was I believe justified by the outcome. The Reid/Murray initiative seems to me to carry less risk, and to have the same purpose.
While we cannot endorse, still less become involved in it, I therefore do not see that it is in our interest that it should be stalled.
It is interesting that Mr Hume believes that, insofar as Cardinal O Fiaich is involved, he is acting behind the backs of his hierarchy. Like you, I was struck by the very guarded terms in which the Cardinal has lent this name to this enterprise. I would assume that the Papal Nuncio's approach to Sir N Fenn, about which he wrote to you on 21 November, did not reflect the Reid/Murray initiative, and was probably made in ignorance of it. Nevertheless, I think we should consider whether, in his response to Archbishop Gerada, Sir N Fenn should go beyond suggesting that the Church should reinforce its denunciation of violence, and say that the Church could perhaps make a valuable contribution by considering in what way those who are now tempted to support republican violence could be persuaded that other forms of political activity are open to them which could be more fruitful, as well as less wicked.
All the above relates to the initiative covered in these papers. I continue to believe that Father Reid also has a different purpose in cultivating Mr McConnell, and will return to it.
[signed]
R O MILES Ext 507 (SH)
27 1988 - 2023
38 1993 - 1993
55 101 - 1991
64 1993 - 2020
26 1993 - 1993
57 1993 - 1993
59 1993 - 1993
51 1993 - 1993
18 1993 - 1993
24 1993 - 1994
41 1993 - 1994
32 1993 - 1994
72 101 - 1994
8 101 - 1990
76 101 - 1994
1 1994
60 101 - 1994
65 1993 - 2023
37 101 - 1993
54 101 - 1993
32 101 - 1993
77 1993 - 1993
58 101 - 2018
49 1993 - 1997
61 101 - 1992
38 101 - 1991
48 1992 - 1993
134 101 - ?-??
59 101 - 2023
84 101 - 1993
64 101 - 1991
44
11
31 1996 - 1996
61 1996 - 1996
49 1996 - 1996
20 1996 - 1997
32 1996 - 1996
48 1996 - 1996
74 1996 - None
4 1996 - 1996
33 1996 - 1996
30 1996 - 1996
7 1996 - 1996
24 1996 - 1996
9 1996 - 1996
59 1996 - 1996
60 1996 - 1996
14 1996 - 1997
41 1996 - 1996
45 1996 - 1996
67 1996 - 1996
16 1996 - 1996
87 1996 - None
23 1996 - 1996
79 1996 - None
22 1996 - 1996
1989-12-13
This memo records some problems with Father Alec Reid and Father Raymond Murray's initiative, but also notes that it is not in the interest of the British Government to stall it. It also discusses the role that the Catholic Church could possibly play in persuading PIRA to lay down arms.
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Unless otherwise specified, this material falls under Crown Copyright and contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
The National Archives of the UK (TNA), digitzed by the Quill Project at https://quillproject.net/resource_collections/351/.