[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 48 (Thursday, April 28, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: April 28, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
        VISIT OF BOTH IRISH CHURCH LEADERS TO THE UNITED STATES

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Washington [Mr. Foley] is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. FOLEY. Mr. Speaker, 1994 marks the 1,550th anniversary of the 
advent of Christianity in Ireland. To mark the historical significance 
of this date, the city of Armagh, the ancient seat of both the Catholic 
and Anglican primates of all Ireland, has launched a yearlong 
celebration.
  As part of this celebration, these two men of God, Cardinal Cahal B. 
Daly and Archbishop Robin Eames, have come to the United States for a 
brief visit. Their purpose is not only to mark the historical coming of 
St. Patrick, but to proclaim anew his mission of peace. They have 
joined together to ask the support of the American people and its 
Government for the peace process in Ireland.
  I had the privilege of meeting the Cardinal and the Archbishop during 
their stay. They emphasized to me their strong support for the Downing 
Street Declaration issued by Irish Prime Minister Albert Reynolds and 
British Prime Minister John Major as a way forward toward peace in 
Northern Ireland. They talked of renewed efforts at reconciliation 
between their two religious traditions and of the willingness of their 
churches to be a part of that effort. They applauded the work of the 
International Fund for Ireland in creating jobs--and therefore hope--
for thousands of Irish youths who might otherwise turn to violence. 
Lastly, and most importantly, they expressed urgency--urgency for 
political dialog, urgency for economic growth, urgency for an end to 
violence from all sides.
  Mr. Speaker, I regret to say that other events have inevitably 
distracted the attention of the American press from this visit, brief 
though it was. I say that because I so wholeheartedly endorse the 
message of Archbishop Eames and Cardinal Daly, but also because I 
suspect that it would come as a surprise to many Americans who might 
have heard it otherwise. So many in Ireland, so many in Northern 
Ireland--not just in the churches, but throughout every walk of life--
desperately want an end to the violence which is the only facet by 
which the average American knows Northern Ireland. They want a 
political settlement acceptable to both traditions and they are anxious 
that such a settlement be reached soon.
  I include at this point the statements of the cardinal and the 
archbishop, both of whom are Archbishops of Armagh, expressing each's 
views and hopes for the year ahead.

                         Vision for the Future

   (By Archbishop Robin Enmes--Archibishop of Armagh, Primate of All 
                                Ireland)


          Armagh Together 1994/95--Visit to the United States

       Reconciliation is not an event--it is a process. As such it 
     has many different parts. These parts are contributed by 
     people at landmarks. No contribution is too large or too 
     small. The Christian concept of this process is that we are 
     all called to do what we can, as we are and where we are, to 
     encourage it to happen and to push forward the day when all 
     will see it's value. That day will dawn for Ireland. No one 
     knows how long it will take, but on one thing we can be 
     certain--the peacemaker is the person whose efforts and whose 
     visions are blessed by God--the person who believes it is 
     God's will that Ireland should find peace.
       The road to peace is long and hard. Lives have been lost 
     and hearts burdened by the hurt we have inflicted on each 
     other. Suspicion and division have soiled what could have 
     been. Today more than ever there is a great yearning 
     throughout this island for an end to violence. Once that 
     comes, as come it will, the real mountain to be climbed will 
     be the need to maintain peace, to strengthen justice and to 
     build a society in which generations as yet unborn will live 
     in peace.
       It is to that task that we are all called. It is to that 
     task that the spirit of St. Patrick points us. It is from 
     this historic city of Armagh, so rich in heritage and yet 
     reflecting so much of Irish life and experience, that the 
     call to greater understanding, greater sharing of resources 
     and interests and greater effort at building bridges comes. 
     Bridges across which we can walk. This is the call which 
     comes from Armagh Together in this 1550th year of the birth 
     of Christianity in Ireland.
       That is the message we want to bring to the United States. 
     That is the message in which all of us of any tradition can 
     join. The hour for this witness is now. Under God we pray 
     that we may be equal to the needs and the opportunities of 
     the hour.
                                  ____


                    The Christian ``Peace Process''

                      (By Cardinal Cahal B. Daly)


       armagh together 1994/1995--visit to usa, april 25-27, 1994

       When peace comes to Ireland and violence ceases, and we all 
     hope and fervently pray that this will happen soon, this will 
     be only the beginning of a long process of learning new ways 
     of living peacefully together with our neighbours of 
     different religious or political convictions, with each 
     community fully respecting the rights and the culture and the 
     tradition and sense of national identity of the other. There 
     are deep wounds caused by violence to both communities, which 
     have to be healed; there are bitter memories to be overcome; 
     on both sides there are painful wrongs to be repented of and 
     to be forgiven; there is much guilt and remorse to be brought 
     to Christ for the touch of His forgiving hand, we must pray 
     for the grace to be part of this process of healing and of 
     forgiving the past and shaping a new and more just and 
     Christian future. We must pray for the coming of the Holy 
     Spirit into our society and into our own lives, to renew the 
     face of the earth, and to ``complete Christ's work on earth 
     and bring us the fulness of grace''. God has promised to ``do 
     a new deed'' for His people. He wants each one of us to be 
     part of this ``new deed'', this new society which He wishes 
     to create in this island of ours. He wants us to take the 
     initiative and be the first to reach out the hand of 
     friendship to people of the other community. We must pray for 
     and we must be part of a fresh forward thrust in the work for 
     unity and love between Christian Churches. This is where the 
     Holy Spirit is calling us and all Christians at this time. In 
     Ireland it has a special urgency.
       God always loves us first. He always gets in first with His 
     love and forgiveness. He wants us to be the people who will 
     make the first move. The making of peace will not be finished 
     when violence permanently ends; it will merely change into a 
     new gear. We Christians must begin now preparing to play our 
     full part in the peacemaking process which will continue for 
     the rest of the lifetime of all of us now living. Armagh 
     Together wants to be an active part of this process. St. 
     Patrick calls all Irish Christians to this task in this year 
     when together we celebrate Armagh's 1550th anniversary as 
     Ireland's ecclesiastical capital and Primatial City.

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