Irish churches praise IRA steps toward peace

DUBLIN, Ireland — The Irish Republican Army’s (IRA) final decommissioning of its weapons has been warmly welcomed by church leaders in Northern Ireland. “For Irish Republicanism, [the] announcement represents a massive step,” said the Anglican primate Archbishop Robin Eames of Armagh of the announcement made Sept. 26 by Gen. John de Chastelain, head of the Independent International Commission on Decommissioning. “For all of us it can become a major step towards a peaceful and just society if it heralds the end of all criminality and violence in (the) future,” Eames said.  

Welcoming the announcement, the Catholic bishops of Northern Ireland said: “This represents an immensely significant confidence-building measure in favor of a more peaceful and stable society in Northern Ireland. [The] announcement is a vindication of the efforts undertaken by all those who have, over the years, courageously worked to replace violence with dialogue.”

The president of the Methodist Church in Ireland, Desmond Bain, said decommissioning had “opened wide the door for progress towards better understanding.” Bain said everyone needed to work for “the trust that will bring us all closer to the future of justice and peace that God intends.”