The Church of Ireland primate Archbishop Robin Eames said that "across the world the agony of children is a condemnation of how the nations have failed to meet poverty and hunger".
In his Christmas message he said "we cannot allow any feeling of indifference or powerlessness in the face of such need to prevent us doing something, no matter how little or local, to express the real meaning of Christmas this year. A child was born into a world of need. Nothing has changed, except perhaps our knowledge of what real need means," he said.
The Catholic Church's Archbishop of Cashel, Most Rev Dermot Clifford, said many people found Christmas daunting. "The preparations, the decorations, the shopping, the presents, the collections, the Christmas dinner and a thousand other things come crowding. And the cost of it all. It is a severe test of the better side of our nature."
With Christmas, much depended on our approach, he said. "The spiritual should come first. The commercial and the pleasure aspects have their place but should be kept in their place."
In a joint Christmas message both the Catholic and Church of Ireland Bishops of Clogher, Most Rev Joseph Duffy and Right Rev Michael Jackson, noted that "2004 takes us into The International Year of the Family".
"Ours is a world where domestic happiness is harder and harder to achieve," they said.
