‘Too much at stake’: Church leaders plead for dialogue amid renewed unrest in Northern Ireland

Archbishop Eamon Martin and Archbishop John McDowell of the Church of Ireland have called for the urgent creation of a reconciling initiative to address sectarian unrest in Northern Ireland. In an ecumenical statement released Sept. 27, the archbishops urged all parties to use peaceful and democratic processes to resolve conflicts.

The plea follows a standoff on Sept. 27 involving a controversial Orange Order march through a Catholic community on the Garvaghy Road in Portadown, County Armagh. Thousands of protesters gathered to oppose the march, leading to tense scenes that lasted until the early hours of Sept. 28. The archbishops stated that too much is at stake and noted that the commandment to love God and neighbor is more urgent now than at any time in the last 30 years.