Church and State were challenged by immigration, Auxiliary Bishop of Armagh Dr Gerard Clifford said yesterday.
"The gospel message is clear. Jesus himself was an asylum seeker in Egypt, fleeing from the wrath of Herod," said Dr Clifford.
"Mary was a migrant. The lack of welcome extended to her brings to mind the increasing number of women migrants worldwide who are victims of exploitation and trafficking."
Delivering the homily at a Mass, which was held as part of the State's annual 1916 commemoration at Arbour Hill, Dublin, Dr Clifford said there were 420,000 new migrants to Ireland currently, making up 10 per cent of the total population.
"We have large numbers of migrants from the UK, Poland, Lithuania, Nigeria, Latvia and several other countries. Many of the migrants are contributing to the workforce of our country and many are making a significant contribution to our economy and to our culture," said Dr Clifford.
"They bring their distinctive cultural, religious and spiritual gifts to our people. The important factor in all of this is that we are challenged to encourage and allow diversity. They do not come to be subsumed into our way of life. They come to make their own distinctive contribution to our country."
Irish people were the inheritors of the Rising's aims and objectives, he said. "The Proclamation was written at a time of widespread poverty, under-nourishment among the poor, considerable hunger and low-life expectancy," he added.
"Housing in certain areas was amongst the worst in Europe, unemployment was high and emigration to England and the US was the only alternative to destitution for many people."
Ireland of 2007 presented a very different picture, he added. "We currently have a confident economy, low unemployment and a good standard of living for many. Today we have a mainly confident and educated people."
Following the Mass, President Mary McAleese laid a wreath on the graves of the 1916 leaders amid full military honours.
