On being informed that on doctor’s advice Her Majesty the Queen will not be travelling to Northern Ireland today, the Church Leaders’ Group (Ireland) issued the following statement.
“We are very sorry to learn that it will not be possible for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II to be present for the Service of Reflection and Hope in Armagh tomorrow. We wish to convey to Her Majesty our good wishes and, in doing so, to acknowledge the significance of her commitment to the work of peace and reconciliation, which has meant a great deal to people throughout this island. We hope that tomorrow’s service will provide an opportunity to further that work, with an emphasis on our shared hopes for the future.”
Rt Rev Dr David Bruce
Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland
Most Rev John McDowell
Church of Ireland Archbishop of Armagh & Primate of all Ireland
Most Rev Eamon Martin
Roman Catholic Archbishop of Armagh & Primate of all Ireland
Very Rev Dr Ivan Patterson
President of the Irish Council of Churches
Rev Dr Sahr Yambasu
President of the Methodist Church in Ireland
Ends.
Issued on behalf of the Church Leaders’ Group (Ireland) by Mark Smith, Presbyterian Church in Ireland press officer. For further information +44 (0) 7802 264 354 or Email: [email protected]
Notes to Editors
Church Leaders’ Group (Ireland)
The Church Leaders Group (Ireland) comprises the Roman Catholic and Church of Ireland Primates of all Ireland, the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, the President of the Methodist Church in Ireland and the President of the Irish Council of Churches. All of these represent all-Ireland denominations with churches across the whole of the island of Ireland.
The Group came into existence in the late 1960s when the Church Leaders recognised the value in working together in light of the urgency of political developments of the time. Since then, those holding these offices have met frequently, united in their identity as disciples of Jesus and their shared commitment to work together for the common good.