Catholics in the North were "anxiously" awaiting signs that they will not be discriminated against in the aftermath of the Westminster election, the Primate of all Ireland, Dr Seán Brady, said in Milan last night. Kitty Holland reports.
Anything short of full power-sharing in the North would be "extremely problematic", said Dr Brady, who is Archbishop of Armagh. He said he looked forward to engagement with all political parties, including the DUP, as part of a "more mature and confident Northern Ireland".
Dr Brady was speaking on the theme "Citizens or Believers?" at the invitation of the British ambassador to Italy, Sir Ivor Roberts.
His speech was a commentary on the "disproportionate influence" of secularism in Europe.
"Breaking the cycle of exclusion and rebuilding the sense of mutual responsibility for each other's success is a critical dimension to building peace," he said.
Critical to peace in the North was a recognition by all sides, in the lead-up to the Good Friday agreement, that the only viable future was a shared one.
"I am happy to say the churches were often at the forefront of this activity in Northern Ireland. Many individual ministers and believers sought to create safe spaces where such dialogue and encounter could take place," Dr Brady said.
A change of attitude was still needed, however, from what was still often an exclusive frame of mind "excluding religious, political or cultural identities".
While the State could not oblige the citizen to forgive one's enemy, "both engagement and forgiveness are necessary if the cycle of violence and revenge is to be broken".
This made great demands on politicians. They must "do their utmost to promote dialogue and peace in the furtherance of solidarity and . . . not use religion for political ends.
"In Northern Ireland one of the contributing factors to the conflict was the presence of discrimination on specifically religious grounds." He said significant improvements had been made in this regard, with comprehensive legislation and the power-sharing arrangements enshrined in the Good Friday agreement.
"Yet it is true to say that following the recent Westminster elections many Catholics now anxiously await signs that both their religious convictions and their political aspirations, in as much as these may differ from that of the unionist tradition, will be treated with respect and parity of esteem.
"This includes the need to be reassured about the willingness of all parties to share power.
"Anything less would be extremely problematic and would ignore the fact that Northern Ireland, unlike other parts of the United Kingdom, continues to be a contested space," Dr Brady said.