Church leaders from the island of Ireland will attend a seminar in Rome to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.
In a shared statement they said the visit is taking place at a time of “great concern for the state of our fragile peace”.
The Church Leaders Group, which includes leaders from the Church of Ireland, the Methodist and Presbyterian churches in Ireland, the Roman Catholic Church and the Irish Council of Churches, will share their personal reflections on the anniversary during a visit to Rome.
The seminar will take place in the Pontifical Irish College and will also explore the role that churches and faith-based leaders play in peace-making and reconciliation.
The two-day visit begins with a joint church service on Thursday at the Chiesa Evangelica Valdese, the Waldensian Evangelical Church in Rome’s Piazza Cavour.
The Good Friday Agreement established a new political system in the North and largely ended conflict and violence in the region.
The 25th anniversary of the signing has been celebrated in a range of events so far this year, including the Agreement 25 conference at Queen’s University.
In a joint statement the church leaders said their visit to Rome was an opportunity to reflect on the past 25 years, but also to look to the future of peace in Northern Ireland.
They said the Good Friday Agreement was not the end of the peace journey in the region.
“We welcome the opportunity this special seminar affords us to share our collective thoughts and personal reflections at such an influential gathering, as it comes at a time when we have great concern for the state of our fragile peace,” they said.
“As we remark in the foreword to this morning’s Order of Service, ‘We must remember that the signing of the Agreement was not the end of the journey to peace in Northern Ireland. It simply marked the first faltering steps down a very long road to a new, brighter, and shared future… shaped by tolerance and respect for our differences, and a recognition of the need for greater understanding and reconciliation’.”
The church leaders added that the Good Friday Agreement had saved lives in Northern Ireland.
They said: “We are thankful to God that the Agreement that was negotiated a quarter of a century ago, while not perfect, transformed the conflict in Northern Ireland, resulting in countless lives being saved.
“It is our prayer that today’s seminar, and our participation along with others, will contribute to a wider understanding of where we have come from and the hope that we have for the future, when communities agree to come together.”
The church leaders further stated that their visit was a commitment to the future of peace and reconciliation.
“As individual Christians, and as leaders in our respective Christian traditions, we are committed to working towards a vision of an island of restored relationships, where all can flourish and fully participate in our common life,” they said.
“This is our shared commitment to reconciliation and peacebuilding on the island of Ireland. While we continue to recognise the obvious challenges that there are, we want to acknowledge once more that the important and vital work of peace is still an unfinished work, a work that we are all committed to actively pursuing for the common good, for all the people of Ireland, north and south.”
Speaking ahead of the visit, the British ambassador to the Holy See Chris Trott and the Irish ambassador to the Holy See Frances Collins said they were “delighted” to welcome the church leaders in Ireland to Rome.
“For decades, the churches have played an important role in supporting peace and reconciliation, including in preparing the ground for the successful negotiation of the agreement, facilitating inter-community dialogue and in their ecumenical work, which promoted a deeper understanding of the root causes of the conflict,” they said.
“Their invaluable work continues today, as they support and guide communities across Northern Ireland navigating the very serious challenges of living in a post-conflict society.”
Speakers at the seminar will include the Rt Rev Andrew Forster, president of the Irish Council of Churches, the Most Rev Eamon Martin, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland, and the Most Rev John McDowell, Church of Ireland Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland.
Before returning on Friday the church leaders will have a number of additional meetings with Christian organisations and lunch with the British and Irish ambassadors to the Holy See.
