October 27, 2024 Essay: Church and State: Despair and Hope
During my recent visit to Ireland, I visited Trinity College in Dublin and joined a long line of tourists to view The Book of Kells. More than catching a brief glimpse of this magnificent manuscript, what held my attention and, I dare say, inspired me was a copy of the 1916 Proclamation of the Irish Republic that is displayed in the same library. The Proclamation echoes the refrains of our Declaration of Independence. To be free from tyranny, to trust in Divine Providence, and to hope for a better and more just future for everyone are the aspirations for nationhood that are embedded in each word of both documents. In my reading of the Proclamation on that day, the din from the throng of visitors to the Long Hall could not dampen the passion, purpose, and pride that rang out from the words on a single page of faded paper in a glass-enclosed display case. The meaning of what it must mean for someone to be Irish was palpable.
As we know from our own history, aspiring to be independent and free from tyranny comes at a cost. All seven signatories to the 1916 Proclamation of the Irish Republic were executed as traitors by the British. Conflict and the shedding of blood would ensue for three decades before the Republic of Ireland was established. As a nation, we, as Americans, are all too familiar with the reality that to establish and preserve the principles upon which our nation was founded requires vigilance and sacrifice. The words of the founding documents of both nations are not simply written in ink. They are embodied in our resolve to remain true to them and to live them each day as beacons of hope to others who yearn to be free – from fear, from want, from tyranny, from the shackles of injustice, discrimination, and violence.
As I reflected on my visit to the library of Trinity College, I appreciated the symbolic significance of the placement of The Book of Kells and the 1916 Proclamation of the Irish Republic, two documents that have anchored the Irish psyche. The Book of Kells is at the entrance to the Long Room, and the Proclamation at the far end of the room, a vivid display of the separation of church and state. However, it is more than the placement of these Irish treasures that was starkly represented. What is equally striking is their profound similarity. Both embody an awakening of hope out of the shedding of blood and the darkness of despair.
What underpins every democratic nation is faith in God, no matter how one worships God or by what religion one may be identified. The founding documents of both Ireland and the United States clearly articulate what we hold as the God-given rights of all women and men and explicitly entrust the protection of these rights and of the nation to Divine Providence, the Most High God.
We, like the Irish, are striving to abide by the aspirations of who we are as a nation and people of faith. At times, our differences have the ability to overwhelm us and lead us to the darkness of despair. However, it is within our grasp to be guided by hope and trust in a brighter future. Our histories reveal that we are resilient and can overcome the ugliness of polarization and divisiveness, but it requires vigilance and courage to remain true to what we believe.
As we approach what is arguably the most consequential presidential election in our history, perhaps it is time for us to turn to what anchors us as a nation, our abiding trust in God and the democratic principles upon which our nation was founded. At Trinity College, one is led from The Book of Kells to the Proclamation of the Irish Republic. May our abiding trust in the provident care of God and our Declaration of Independence guide us in the decision to be made on November 5th.
Let us continue to pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit and for one another that we may be resolute as pilgrims of hope and joyful disciples of Jesus Christ.
— Rev. Dennis J. Yesalonia, S.J., Pastor