Archbishops Eamon Martin and John McDowell invite people to pray for peace

Archbishop Eamon Martin and Church of Ireland Archbishop John McDowell are inviting people across the island of Ireland and beyond to pray the Prayer of Saint Francis this weekend. In a new video, the two archbishops recite the prayer together to encourage people to consider how to be good neighbors to one another.

The invitation follows the ongoing crisis at Drumcree. In a joint statement, the archbishops acknowledged that sincere views, painful histories, and important issues are at stake. They urged people to build on existing efforts to foster trust and understanding between different traditions and emphasized the importance of respecting the rule of law and using peaceful, democratic processes.

The archbishops asked Christians to consider what actions are generous and neighborly to help build peace and the common good. They also cautioned against using language that increases division and called for inclusive and reconciling efforts to find a way through the current situation.