The Archbishop of Dublin, Dr Connell, has warned against misuse of control over human reproduction.
In a homily to be delivered at the Christmas Eve Mass in the Pro-Cathedral he says: "The worries we already experience about the safety of our food, about the polluted condition of land and sea and air will multiply if we abandon respect for the gift of life by misusing the control over human reproduction put in our hands by scientific technology."
The Church of Ireland Primate, Dr Eames, has spoken of "another culture of violence" in Ireland. In his Christmas message he said it "proclaims that violence in the street or the home is an acceptable behaviour pattern for which society too easily finds excuses". We must never assume that there is "an acceptable level of violence in any civilised country".
The Presbyterian Moderator, Dr Trevor Morrow, in his message said that for those bereaved by the Troubles "our Christmas cameraderie merely underlines for them their loneliness and isolation". They were "people who carry in their hearts a pain too deep for words", he said. "What they have seen and experienced has left them indelibly scarred. Their feeling of loss is now reinforced with a moral awareness of injustice."
In his message the Bishop of Cork, Cloyne and Ross, the Right Rev Paul Colton, pointed out that "the child of Christmas" grew to be "an adult Jesus who turned so many accepted and respected things on their head". We have got to face up to the challenges of this adult Christ of Christmas, he said.
