John Hume – peacemaker and champion of social justice

Church leaders pay tribute

Tributes have been paid to John Hume, the Northern Ireland politician who was instrumental in the peace process.

Hume died in a Londonderry nursing home on Monday at the age of 83 after a brief illness.

He was leader of the Social Democratic Labour Party between 1979 and 2001, and co-recipient of the 1998 Nobel Peace Prize with David Trimble.

Funeral Mass of John Hume RIP

The C of I Primate of All Ireland, the Most Rev John McDowell, said: “Firstly, I would like to extend my heartfelt sympathies and prayers to John Hume’s wife, Pat, and to the wider family. For many people, even looking on at a distance, Pat’s care for John, especially over the period of his last illness, was exemplary and inspiring.

“John Hume will be remembered not only as a significant politician in Ireland but also for his unambiguous dedication to making political change happen by purely peaceful means.

“Because of the manner of his approach, this required enormous patience and sympathetic understanding and those of us who are the beneficiaries of his legacy can only regret his passing while, at the same time, being thankful for his gargantuan efforts in the cause of peace and good relations.”

Moderator’s tribute

Rt Rev Dr David Bruce, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, has offered his ‘deepest sympathy and sincere condolences’ to Mr Hume’s wife Pat, their family, friends, and colleagues following the death, announced today (3 August), of the Nobel Laureate and former leader of the SDLP, John Hume.

Dr Bruce said, “When he received the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1998, which was jointly awarded with Lord Trimble, John Hume reflected on the previous 30 years of his political involvement saying, ‘Amid shattered lives, a quiet heroism has borne silent rebuke to the evil that violence represents, to the carnage and waste of violence, to its ultimate futility.’ It is perhaps John Hume’s own personal courage, along with his consistent and outright rejection of violence, which we honour and remember today.”

The Moderator continued, “In pursuing a peaceful and just society, John Hume’s belief that past grievances and injustices could give way to what he called ‘a new generosity of spirit and action’ should not be forgotten.

“On behalf of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, I would like to extend our deepest sympathy and sincere condolences to Mr Hume’s wife Pat, their family and friends, and his colleagues. We remember a man who selflessly committed himself to challenging the deep-seated problems of our society. He demonstrated a genuine desire to bring people together for the common good and to build a just and peaceful society. We give thanks for peacemakers, and on this sad day, John Hume in particular.”

The Bishop of Derry, Donal McKeown, described Hume as “one of the greatest peacemakers and champions of social justice of our time”, who would be “remembered as one of the great local and world figures of his generation”.

“He dedicated his life to the welfare of this community, at no small cost to himself. His name became a byword for dedication to the cause of peace, whatever the obstacles or criticisms,” he said.

“While he strode the world stage, he remained firmly rooted in his local city. It was the specific circumstances that prevailed here in his native city that helped develop his vision for the future. His first-hand experience of injustice and violence and his broad European vision emboldened him to persevere in building bridges and friendships.

“John had spent a few years in seminary discerning whether he had a vocation to become a priest. In many ways he always retained that strong Christian sense of being called to be a peacemaker.”

The Bishop of Derry and Raphoe, the Rt Rev Andrew Forster, ‘I am deeply saddened to learn of the death of the Nobel peace laureate, John Hume – one of the giants of modern Irish history.

‘John achieved what many people had thought impossible by plotting a course through the previously uncharted waters of peace in Northern Ireland. He mapped out a route which addressed what he called “the totality of relationships in these islands”: between Unionists and Nationalists; north and south; Britain and Ireland. The approach he prescribed gave rise to our modern peace process.

‘Those of us who grew up during the Troubles recognise that Northern Ireland is a better place now because of the courage and commitment of people like John Hume. We owe him and them an enormous debt for what they achieved on our behalf. We would now honour John best by completing that quest to build a better society and a peace that endures.

‘I offer my sincere condolences to John’s devoted wife, Pat, and to their five children, and assure the family that they are to the fore in my prayers at this very sad time.’

Archbishop of Dublin, the Most Reverend Dr. Michael Jackson stated, “During turbulent and troubled times, John Hume put his shoulder to the wheel in the service of dialogue and peace.

“He did so for people right across Ireland who lived in fear of the present and in hope of a brighter future.

“His legacy of painstaking dialogue is recognised internationally and was honoured in his lifetime by the joint award with Lord David Trimble of the Nobel Peace Prize. The fruit of his legacy remains the Good Friday – Belfast Agreement.

“We honour his memory, give thanks for his courage and pray for all members of his family.”

Archbishop Eamon Martin’s tribute –  RIP: “A paragon of peace”

A great sadness has descended on my home city of Derry today as we learn of the death of one of our greatest sons, Mr John Hume. That sadness ripples out to every corner of Ireland and all around the world where the mere mention of the name of John Hume evokes admiration, respect and thanksgiving for a life dedicated to peace and social justice. Today we are remembering a paragon of peace, a giant of a statesman whose legacy of unstinting service to the Common Good is internationally acclaimed, even though it is still perhaps only unfolding.

As a young person growing up in Derry I was hugely influenced by this man of principle. For me, like many other pupils of Saint Columb’s College, John Hume was considered one of our heroes and role models. When I went to study for the priesthood at Maynooth I was happy to know that he too had once been a seminarian for the Diocese of Derry. But John’s vocation was to serve God and his community as a layman, and he totally devoted his energies to that vocation – to relieving poverty, challenging injustice and providing decent living conditions for all.

Later, as a priest working in Derry, I came to know John as a man whose convictions were rooted in a deep faith, in prayer and practical Christianity. I was honoured to announce eight years ago that Pope Benedict XVI had conferred on him a papal knighthood in recognition of his commitment to peace, reconciliation, non-violence and social justice. John put Catholic Social Teaching into practice – sometimes at great personal cost and risk – working ceaselessly for a process of reconciliation through which the dignity of every human person is recognised and upheld. For me, this is best summarized in the words of his Nobel Laureate speech (1998):

“I want to see Ireland as an example to men and women everywhere of what can be achieved by living for ideals, rather than fighting for them, and by viewing each and every person as worthy of respect and honour. I want to see an Ireland of partnership where we wage war on want and poverty, where we reach out to the marginalised and dispossessed, where we build together a future that can be as great as our dreams allow.”

Every so often we come across a person of vision, who lifts us up to see and think beyond the confines of our own, much narrower, perspectives. John Hume was such a man of vision, whose dreams were challenging but always achievable – whether it was ‘people helping people’ in a credit union or ‘countries assisting countries’ in the European project – he lived out the principle of “Ní neart go cur le chéile” (there is no strength without working together). His secret was to encourage the pooling of ideas and resources to raise the hopes and opportunities for all. B’fhéidir nach bheidh a leitheid aris ann – it is now up to the rest of us to step up and be as courageous and determined as he was to deliver (in the words of his favourite song) that “bright brand new day”!

Our prayers and thoughts are especially with his dear wife Pat and Family. Pat was such a rock of support to John, and is an inspiration to all of us. We ask that God will comfort her and John’s extended family circle, friends, former colleagues and loved ones in the knowledge that John was someone special – one in a million!

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.