Northern Ireland needs an urgent new vision of hope because of disenchantmentamong people who feel increasingly removed from the political process the Church of Ireland Archbishop of Armagh Dr Robin Eames said today.
With the British and Irish Governments preparing to call a fresh round oftalks next month in an effort to restore the power-sharing executive in Belfast,Archbishop Eames claimed everybody needed to feel involved.
He said: "While much has been attempted to heal the wounds of society, andmany have built their own bridges across barriers of a divided community, thepolitical process requires a new impetus of hope.
"For many people there is a sense of disenchantment with what they see andhear of that process. There is a growing feeling that the process is beingremoved from their actual experience of life," he said in his Christmas Daysermon at St Patrick's Cathedral, Armagh.
"This is a dangerous trend for the whole of society. Impatience with what isperceived to be a process removed from their experience as ordinary life goes onfor them, leads to disillusionment.
"The need for the political process to give hope to ordinary people isurgent. The province needs a new vision of hope."
Dublin and Downing Street are hoping that some sort of agreed formula can behammered out before the end of February to get the North's institutions upand running again in advance of the elections to the Northern Ireland Assemblyin May.
PA