The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Revd Dr Rowan Williams has paid tribute to the outstanding ministry of the Most Revd Dr Robin Eames, Archbishop of Armagh at the thanksgiving service to mark the twenty-year Primacy in St Patrick's Cathedral Armagh.
Dr Williams made a presentation of the highest award in the Anglican Communion to Archbishop Robin Eames - an Award for Outstanding Service to the Anglican Communion.Presenting the award, Archbishop Williams said, "We have in the Anglican Communion various ways of recognising distinguished service. There are awards given at Lambeth, there is the cross of St Augustine. But once in a while somebody comes along for whom this doesn't seem completely adequate and when Desmond Tutu retired, the then Archbishop of Canterbury invented the Archbishop of Canterbury's Award for Outstanding Service to the Anglican Communion.
"Tonight it is a huge privilege to present that award for the second time."
The service was attended by distinguished representatives of Church and State from both sides of the border including Her Excellency, The President of Ireland, Prof Mary McAleese, Her Majesty's Lord Lieutenant for Armagh, The Earl of Caledon, Lord Justice, Sir Paul and Lady Girvan, Mr Jonathan Phillips, Permanent Secretary of the Northern Ireland Office, Mr Paul Goggins MP, the Under-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Lieutenant Colonel Mark Campbell, Regimental Colonel Royal Irish Regiment, the Chief Constable of the PSNI, Sir Hugh Orde and the Acting Chief Executive of Armagh City Council Mr John Briggs.
Church leaders also present for the service were the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Armagh, the Most Revd Dr Sean Brady, the Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, the Rt Revd Dr David Clarke and the President of the Methodist Church in Ireland, the Revd Ivan McElhinney, all of whom read prayers.
The service was also attended by the current and retired Bishops of the Church of Ireland as well as representatives of other Churches in the Anglican Communion including the Secretary General of the Anglican Communion Canon Kenneth Kearon. Representing the Church in Wales is the Bishop of Swansea and Brecon, the Rt Revd Anthony Pierce. Representing the Episcopal Church of Scotland, the Bishop of St Andrews, the Rt Revd David Chillingworth.
Members of the Representative Church Body and the General Synod of the Church of Ireland made a presentation to the Archbishop of a figure of a dove, symbolising various aspects of his Primacy. Dean Desmond Harman, Honorary Secretary of the General Synod said: "Through the years of your primacy you have carried the olive branch of peace and reconciliation through this island and through the Anglican Communion."
He added: "Doves are also seen as messengers in flight. In difficult times when others were lost for words you continued to carry a message of Christian conviction and flew on the wings of faith. This bird has been designed to have active wings representing the movement of the Holy Spirit which has energised your leadership."
Archbishop Eames said: "I greatly appreciate the warmth of tonight's service and the participation of so many who have travelled from all corners of Ireland and the wider Anglican Communion to be with me. I find deep meaning in the symbolism of the gift that the Representative Church Body and the General Synod have made and it will be a constant reminder to me of my work and the many colleagues with whom I have served."
