‘As Christian leaders in Northern Ireland who believe in grace and the
building of a peaceful and hopeful future here, we are dismayed by the
scenes of violence and disorder which have taken place over the past few
days, marring the Twelfth weekend, most notably in parts of North and
East Belfast. Christian values centre around forgiveness, the valuing of
every person, and working for the common good. To raise a hand in anger
is to step away from those values. It is also important to stress that
it is wholly unacceptable to abuse or endanger the lives of the PSNI in
their role in upholding the rule of law.‘We urge people to find new ways of dealing with difficult issues through meaningful engagement. We need to talk now and not leave it too late. We, for our part, are willing to offer help and support to any such sincere processes of mediation and dialogue within our communities.’
The Most Revd Dr Richard Clarke, Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland
The Right Revd Harold Miller, Bishop of Down & Dromore
The Right Revd Alan Abernethy, Bishop of Connor