Church Leaders meeting Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič (third from left) were, from left, the Rt Revd Dr Richard Murray, Presbyterian Moderator; the Revd Dr John Alderdice, Methodist President; Archbishops John McDowell and Eamon Martin, Church of Ireland and Catholic Primates; and Bishop Sarah Groves, Irish Council of Churches President (with the Revd Trevor Gribben and the Revd Dr Heather Morris, Joint Secretaries)
The Church Leaders’ Group (Ireland) recently engaged in a two day visit to the European institutions in Brussels. Those present were Archbishop John McDowell, Church of Ireland Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland; Archbishop Eamon Martin, Catholic Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland; the Rt Rev Dr Richard Murray, Presbyterian Moderator; the Rev Dr John Alderdice, Methodist President; and, Bishop Sarah Groves, Irish Council of Churches President, accompanied by the Joint Secretaries to the Group, the Rev Dr Heather Morris and the Rev Trevor Gribben, General Secretaries of the Methodist and Presbyterian Churches in Ireland.
During a busy two days, the Church Leaders met with Vice President Antonella Sberna of the European Parliament; Executive Vice President of the European Commission, Maroš Šefčovič; the Permanent Representative of Ireland to the EU, Ambassador Aingeal O’Donoghue; and the Head of the UK Mission to the EU, Ambassador Lindsay Croisdale-Appleby, along with other individuals with significant expertise. The Group also engaged extensively with Aodhan Connolly, Director of the Northern Ireland Executive Office in Brussels, and his team, who greatly assisted in the arrangements for the visit.
The Church Leaders sought to both recognise the positive progress that had been made over the years following on from Brexit, as well as communicating the ongoing concerns and challenges faced by many sectors and communities especially in Northern Ireland. The Church Leaders shared the wide range of perspectives within their communities and noted the strong level of engagement by the people they met with. They welcomed a sincere commitment from these key individuals to building positive relationships between the United Kingdom, Ireland and the European Union, while recognising the challenges and opportunities that remain especially in relation to Northern Ireland.
ENDS
