Hume receives papal knighthood

The Pope has knighted Northern Ireland peace process founder John Hume.

The Nobel Laureate and former SDLP leader, 75, whose dialogue with Sinn Féin paved the way for the end of violence and the signing of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, was made a Knight of St Gregory for his peace work.

Mr Hume, from Derry, founded the SDLP, which represented the majority of nationalists in the North for many years until it was overtaken in the polls by Sinn Féin.

He was one of the architects of the peace process as the second leader of the SDLP from 1979 to 2001.

The former demonstrator for Catholic civil rights served as a member of the European Parliament and an MP for Foyle as well as a member of the Northern Ireland Assembly.

He was named Ireland’s Greatest in a public poll by RTÉ to find the greatest person in the country’s history.

Derry diocesan administrator Monsignor Eamon Martin said that within the next year the Church will celebrate the 50th anniversary of Pope John XXIII’s encyclical on peace, justice and human rights.

“In the light of this anniversary it is particularly appropriate that the Holy Father should recognise Mr Hume with a papal knighthood,” he said.

“He has worked tirelessly for peace and justice, at considerable personal cost and risk. In doing this he has testified to the fundamental dignity of human beings.”

Michael Kelly from the Irish Catholic newspaper said it was a “very prestigious honour from the Vatican” which few received.

“This is a senior knighthood, it is not conferred lightly at all,” he said.

Mr Kelly said he had been recognised as he was a “tireless witness for human rights”.

“It is very clear it’s his profound Catholic faith which has propelled his work in this sphere.”

Meanwhile, First Minister Peter Robinson has said any inquiry into theBloody Sunday killings should include the role of Martin McGuinness.

The Sinn Féin MP and Stormont Deputy First Minister was an IRA leader in Derry in January 1972, the month when the shootings happened.

Mr McGuinness earned plaudits last month when he shook Queen Elizabeth’s hand in a gesture of reconciliation and has moved to distance the IRA from blame for Bloody Sunday.

A report which confirmed the innocence of the 13 men shot dead by British paratroopers also claimed Mr McGuinness gave wrong information about his movements that day and was probably carrying a machine gun but did not engage in“any activity that provided any of the soldiers with any justification for opening fire”. A 14th victim of the soldiers died later.

Mr Robinson asked: “How could you avoid an inquiry into that and say that we’re going to have an inquiry into the army personnel that were there?

“The deputy first minister has openly admitted that he was in charge. If that was the case then there has to be an investigation if you’re investigating the army.”