AS HUNTSMEN gathered yesterday for their traditional Boxing Day meets, the co-ordinator of a growing group of pro-hunting clergymen warned hunt supporters they should not claim “God was on their side”.

The Rev Pip Martin, 45, vicar at St James’s Church in Alderholt, Dorset, spoke out because he is uncomfortable that some hunts ask local clergymen to bless their meets. Mr Martin, who is a whipper-in with the Wiltshire and Infantry Beagles and co-ordinator of Clergymen for Field Sports, a 60-strong non-denominational group, said he was concerned that hunt blessings could be misconstrued.

He said: “There are Christians and clergy on both sides of this argument and my hope is that as a priest who hunts I can encourage a little more understanding and conversation between them.”

He attempted to reconcile his ministry with his passion for hunting in an interview with The Times. He said that hunting was a contentious issue and added: “As a priest involved in it I keep remembering that we as human beings are merely trying to find a way through a complicated life and we must respect and listen to the views of others.”

Mr Martin spends a day out beagling every week and said: “It relieves me from the stresses of rural life. It is the only time that my mind takes me away from the work of the parish.” He donned his green jacket, green cap and white cricket trousers earlier this week to run for miles with the beagles near Warminster. He admitted he was a newcomer to hunting and it had not been part of his upbringing.

He said: “Because of this I find it easier to understand the attitudes of those who don’t belong to the hunting fraternity.”

He defends his hunting however and put forward a moral principle in the debate that “Christians should treat animals sympathetically but not sentimentally.”

He said: “You should not be more squeamish on behalf of a fox than you would be on behalf of a trout or cod or rat.” He therefore advocates that hunting in all its currently legal and regulated form is “sympathetic”.

He said: “It helps to protect a balanced and healthy population of quarry species and its benefits to them and wildlife in general greatly outweigh any presumed suffering to individual animals. If hunting is banned, more foxes and hares will be killed by means, legal or illegal, that cause more suffering.

“But it will happen secretly. Animal rights protesters will have won, but animal welfare will have lost.” He added: “MPs, with an almost enviable moral certainty, accuse me therefore of cruel, sadistic, uncivilised, unacceptable behaviour and intend to make me a criminal.

“I know that some good Christian people support them in this determination. Yet I persist in hoping there can be conversation, charity and humility rather than simply condemnation and certainty.”

Clergy in Field Sports commemorate St Hubert’s Day on November 3 and pray for hunting communities under threat.

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