The Archbishop of Armagh has said that Northern Ireland must "move forward" from its violent past in his last ever diocesan synod address this week.
In his presidential address at his last ever Armagh Diocesan Synod as Archbishop of Armagh this week, the Most Rev Dr Robin Eames reflected on his last 20 years as Archbishop.
He noted the demise of the Church as the bedrock of society with bulging congregations just 40 years ago to today's empty pews in the face of an ever-secularising society.
Archbishop Eames, also the Primate of all Ireland, said that in just half a century the change in the Church in Ireland had been "vast and significant".
"Large congregations on a Sunday are no longer the norm: the voice of the Church on community issues is judged on a basis of its relevance or importance in the eyes of a secular society: natural respect for clergy is dependent now on individual worth and the acceptance or rejection of the Gospel of Christ has to take its place beside a clamour of ideas, solutions, principles and beliefs, many of which make no reference to Almighty God," he said.
Archbishop Eames also looked back over the "30 years of darkness" inflicted on northern society by terrorism and social upheaval which he said had "changed life here forever".
"The days of our Troubles brought suffering, fear and apprehension to our people. Terrorism took a great toll of life in this area. All of our lives were affected. Each parish bore a heavy burden. Those seemingly endless funerals and bereaved bewildered families. Those dark nights when people along the border were afraid to leave their homes and people hurried home from their work. Fear stalked the lives of this diocese.
"At a time of abnormality in Northern Ireland parishes provided normality. Parochial halls were an oasis of peace as organisations provided recreation and fellowship for people of all ages," he said as he thanked those adults who gave up their time for the many youth ministries in particular, often in the "face of such difficulties".
The Archbishop of Armagh also praised the work of parish clergy who he said were "one of the most stabilising influences in Northern Ireland" during the Troubles.
