The President of the General Synod and the Archbishop of Armagh, the Most Revd Alan Harper, welcomed representatives from other Churches present at the meeting of the Church of Ireland General Synod in Galway today.

Representing the Roman Catholic Church was the Revd Brendan Leahy and Sr Catherine Kealy. Representing the Church of England was the Dean of Bradford, the Very Revd Dr David Ison. The Methodist Church in Ireland was represented by the Revd Robert Cooper, President of the Methodist Church, and Mrs Gillian Kingston. The Presbyterian Church was represented by the Very Revd Dr David Clarke, a former Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, and Mr Mervyn McKean, an elder in the Presbyterian Church. The Moravian Church of Britain and Ireland was represented by the Revd Jan Mullin and the Irish Council of Churches was represented by the Revd Colin Campbell.

Addressing the Members of the General Synod, Revd Leahy stated that “the Catholic Church’s commitment to ecumenism is irrevocable.”

“The official ecumenical landscape, you could say recently established […] has allowed us to move further. We are all children of the one Father” he said. Revd Leavy closed by thanking members of the General Synod for their warm welcome and hospitality.

Dr Clarke expressed his hope that the Church of Ireland and the Presbyterian Church in Ireland might cooperate more frequently on political and ethical issues.

Together, he hoped the Churches could “speak on their shared ethical values in an increasingly secular Ireland.”