Centenary of the Armistice at St Anne’s Cathedral, Belfast.
Photo: Press Eye/Darren Kidd The Archbishop of Armagh has said the suffering endured by the Irish – Catholic and Protestant – during WWI should act as an impetus for political leaders today to build a just and lasting peace in Northern Ireland.
Archbishop Eamon Martin became the first senior Catholic leader to speak at an Armistice Remembrance Service when he preached the sermon during choral evensong at St Anne’s Anglican Cathedral in Belfast.
He was greeted by Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, representing his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.
While thousands of Irish Catholics fought on the British side against the Germans, many felt ostracised when they returned home after the conflict.
Archbishop Martin referred to this when he reflected on the fact in his sermon that “sadly, because of the cruel twists and tensions of our history of conflict, the fact that Irish Catholics and Protestants fought and died, side by side, was neglected for too long – and perhaps conveniently – by all sides, both north and south of the border.”
