Northern Ireland Must Move On, Says Archbishop of Armagh

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.

Looking to the future, however, Archbishop Eames said Northern Ireland "must move on".

"It must move forward. We must replace the community of suspicion with the community of trust. We must replace the community of suffering with the community of healing. We must replace the community of sectarianism with the community of generosity. We must replace the community of shouting with the community that listens. The prize we have endured so much to achieve deserves nothing less. The Peace Process demands much from everyone in Northern Ireland. There are issues to address for everyone. There are problems to face for everyone."

Archbishop Eames challenged the Churches in Northern Ireland and the Christians of all traditions in particular "to play their part in this new evolving situation".

"They have a key role in making sure the right questions are asked - and the right answers produced."

Addressing the Nationalist community, Archbishop Eames urged them to "avoid a community which carries resentment because of inequality or oppression" but also stressed that they needed to be part of the "shared future for us all" with reassurance of their future as equal citizens with equal opportunities to prosper.

The Unionist community, he said, had to stop leaning on the issue of the recognition of their constitutional position "to the denial of social justice or community fairness for others".

He also called on members of the Unionist community to "rid themselves the evils of inherited sectarianism towards their Catholic neighbours".

"I believe - despite the obstacles - there is now an unstoppable wave of genuine progress towards a stable and just society. We all must be a part of that wave - not a wave to ride on - but a wave to push ever forward," he said.

Key to this was trust, said Archbishop Eames, particularly in political dealings.

The Archbishop commended the Church of Ireland for withstanding divisions over the years and particularly its strength of unity which he said lay in its all-Ireland General Synod, a common liturgy, a common pattern for ordained Ministry and a "common acceptance of the nature of the Church".