The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr George Carey, has said he firmly believed the people of Northern Ireland would succeed in their quest for a lasting peace despite the current political uncertainties.
In his Sunday sermon in St Anne's Cathedral, Belfast, Dr Carey said he had no doubt that "daylight" would return, "even if, at the moment, it has clouded over". He added: "I am quite sure the perseverance and courage of all involved will see you through to a long-lasting peace and justice for all." He also expressed sympathy with the 1,800 workers at the Belfast shipyard Harland & Wolff who are facing redundancy. He said he hoped those with power and influence would use them on behalf of the workers.
The sermon rounded off Dr Carey's three-day visit to Northern Ireland, the main engagement of which was his participation on Saturday in a Church of Ireland conference in Armagh entitled "Into the New Millennium".
Dr Carey told the delegates that as Good Friday was again approaching people around the world were praying that the vision set out in the Good Friday agreement would become a reality for all the people of Ireland.
Quoting the Church of Ireland Archbishop, Dr Robin Eames, Dr Carey insisted that "hope must not be allowed to die". He added: "Surely the Christian message of Good Friday itself is not finally one of failure, but of victory . . . The churches can give a lead in demonstrating that the Good Friday agreement can work. The promised land of a lasting peace and dignity and room for all is, surely, something to strive for in spite of setbacks."
As delegates arrived for the conference they were heckled by about 50 Presbyterian protesters opposed to the Archbishop's stance on ecumenism. Some held up banners which read "Touch not the unclean." A handful of demonstrators from the Northern Ireland Gay Rights Association also protested at what they described as Dr Carey's "poor" record of meeting gay rights campaigners.
Inside New Theatre, Armagh, Dr Carey endorsed what he termed the "common journey" of all Christian denominations. While the "nuts and bolts" of theological debates were important, they should not stand in the way of "humility and generosity", he added. "Humility, because no tradition can claim to possess the fullness of God's revelation."
In his address to the conference, Dr Eames, called on delegates "not to rest on their laurels" and take their congregations for granted. "The Church of Ireland must now face the fact that what it says on public issues or community questions will not necessarily be judged as compelling simply because it is the church which says it. It will be judged by its relevance to the actual needs and the actual situations people face day by day. The voice of the Church in Ireland in the new millennium will need to be the voice of truth, realism, integrity and relevance," he said.
There was, however, a difference between being relevant and "watering down" the church's message. In an increasingly technological and internationalised society, it would be wrong to compete with the secular in a bid for popularity, Dr Eames said.
"We should not be afraid to speak the truth in love to Ireland, but equally, we should not be overwhelmed by the need to compete with the secular in secular terms. Competitiveness should not be our watchword. Popularity should not be our guiding star."