BELFAST Northern Ireland (CNS): In a Holy Week gesture of reconciliation, a former member of the Irish Republican Army washed the feet of his one-time enemy, a former member of the Ulster Volunteer Force.
On April 17 at a house in Belfast, Tommy Kelly, a 44-year-old ex-prisoner convicted for membership in the IRA, washed the feet of Jim Tate, a 51-year-old former commander of the Ulster Volunteer Force.
Like most nationalists in Northern Ireland, Mr Kelly is a Catholic, while Mr Tate, like most unionists, is a Protestant.
Ten years ago, both men were sworn enemies. As a member of the IRA, Mr Kelly had sworn to overthrow British rule in Northern Ireland, while Mr Tate had sworn to defend Northern Ireland’s union with Great Britain.
