Mags Gargan
The Archbishop of Armagh has called for “the shocking increase in levels of childhood poverty” in the North to be a priority in the upcoming Assembly election.
Archbishop Eamon Martin led a delegation from the Northern Ireland Catholic Council on Social Affairs (NICCOSA) for the first official meeting between representatives of the Catholic Church and the new leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP), Colum Eastwood MLA.
Speaking after the meeting in Belfast on Monday, Archbishop Eamon said that the Church delegation welcomed the opportunity to discuss a range of issues with the party, including “the shocking increase in levels of childhood poverty during the mandate of the last Assembly and the SDLP’s positive commitment to building a culture of life and care”.
He said the group highlighted “the increasing gap between rich and poor, as well as the continuing challenges of sectarianism, reconciliation and dealing with the past”.
“We also expressed our concern at the lack of attention being given to the persecution of Christians across the world, especially in the Middle East. We asked that the next Assembly do more to highlight this issue and to also give focused attention to the importance of respect for freedom of religion and conscience as a fundamental pillar of a genuinely free, diverse and democratic society.”
Delegation
The Church delegation welcomed the affirmation by the SDLP that it will continue to defend the right to life of children in the womb who have life-limiting conditions and raised the issue of the Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry and the need to ensure adequate support for victims and survivors of abuse.
The meeting with the SDLP is the first in a series of meetings scheduled to take place between the archbishop and lay members of NICCOSA, with the main political parties in the North in the run up to the Assembly election on May 5.