IRA terrorists (Northern Ireland).

Belfast--Great things were expected from the 1998 Good Friday Agreement for peace in Northern Ireland. Very little peace has in fact been experienced by many of the inhabitants of this troubled province.

A major clause in the agreement mandated "complete and unequivocal ceasefire" by paramilitary organizations to obtain concessions such as early prisoner release.

In order to avoid the possibility of a Sinn Fein boycott and the resultant collapse of the Agreement's review by U.S. Senator George Mitchell, former U.K. Northern Ireland Secretary, Mo Mowlam, decided to turn a blind eye to various IRA activities in Ulster, such as murder, torture, mutilation, and the intimidation and exiling of civilians.

Viewed lightly by the British government as a mere 'housekeeping' operation, most of this violence, fueled by the IRA's compulsion to keep control in "their" areas, has been directed against the Catholic population. They include the murder of Belfast taxi-driver Charlie Bennett in August this year, many "knee-capping" operations, and the August "expulsion orders" on several teenage Catholic youths judged guilty of antisocial activities within the community.

Since the landmark peace was signed on Good Friday, April 1998, 61 Catholics have been shot by the IRA, 152 people have been beaten, 436 have been ordered to leave Northern Ireland, and 1606 people have been relocated as a result of intimidation (Globe, August 29, '99).

Church reaction so far appears muted. Traditionally, parish priests in Ireland encouraged their people to support the IRA as freedom fighters. Some still cling to this attitude, as illustrated in the statement of a local priest regarding the expulsion of the teenagers, that "it was long overdue." Others, such as Msgr. Denis Faul, condemn the IRA as bullies and excoriate Westminister for permitting such leeway (Tablet Sept. 4, 1999).

In early June, Ireland's bishops called on all political parties in Northern Ireland to end the intimidation of families, especially Catholic families who are being forced from their homes by pro-British Loyalist extremists. But apparently nothing was said about the IRA doings. (CWN, June 9). In early September, Bishop Patrick Walsh of Northern Ireland (Down and Connor diocese) comdemned the IRA tactics at the funeral of one of its victims, and described IRA murders and expulsions as "crimes against humanity" (Tablet, Sept. 11, 1999).