Churches call for ‘urgent action’ by Northern Secretary on ‘worst cost of living crisis in generations’

Ireland’s five main church leaders have highlighted “the increasingly strained relationships on these islands, and within local communities, caused by the outworking of Brexit and the resulting Northern Ireland Protocol,” in their first meeting with Northern Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris.

They urged him “to encourage his colleague, the Foreign Secretary, to work for a negotiated settlement with the European Union that both deals with the trade issues and enables people to be secure in their identity, allowing relationships to improve.”

Describing their meeting with Mr Heaton-Harris as “a productive and wide-ranging conversation” they said they had “also discussed the current uncertainty around the political situation in Northern Ireland and the importance of maintaining stability, regardless of whatever scenario evolves after this Friday’s deadline expires to re-establish the Executive.”

Stressing “the need for urgent action to be taken in light of the fact that the people of Northern Ireland are experiencing the worst cost of living crisis in generations,” they said that “together we were able to relay to him the reality of life for ordinary people from across our congregations and parishes, outlining the significant stress that is being caused by the fear of what is coming in the months ahead and the uncertainty about the support that is being offered.

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They called on him “to give the clarity that is needed in relation to the support that has been promised, especially for the most vulnerable in our society, who are always affected the most when there is a cost of living crisis.”

As Church leaders they had “also raised two important issues that the UK Government had acted on in recent years - the introduction of the most liberal abortion regime on these islands, and the current legacy bill before Parliament - outlining the concerns of many on both these highly sensitive issues.”

The five church leaders at the meeting included President of the Irish Council of Churches Rev Andrew Foster, Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland Rev Dr John Kirkpatrick, Church of Ireland Primate Archbishop John McDowell, Catholic Primate Archbishop Eamon Martin, President of the Methodist Church in Ireland Rev David Nixon.