The Church Of Ireland
Press Release

The visit underlined two significant ecumenical gestures: first, the visit itself; and second, Bishop John Buckley s initiative in organising a church collection on the same day throughout his Diocese of Cork and Ross in support of St Fin Barre s Cathedral restoration and development.

The invitation to preach at the Honan Chapel during Sunday Mass is a significant ecumenical gesture. Bishop Colton said "I was truly delighted to be invited back to UCC and especially to preach at Mass in the Honan Chapel in the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, and to underline our common task of proclamation of the Gospel in a new and rapidly changing era."

In his sermon the Bishop said that the disunity of the Christian churches is a scandal which undermines the credibility of their witness and the integrity of their message. "Our unity in Christ is something that is already God's gift to us by virtue of our incorporation into Christ through Baptism." We need, therefore, a renewed focus on the unity that unavoidably flows from our common baptism, he said

Referring to Bishop Buckley s generous gesture Bishop Paul Colton said; "This is a significant act of ecumenical solidarity and Christian fellowship. It is a symbol of our common intent to be pilgrims together in this new era and to work gently together to achieve a new ecclesiastical reality that makes visible the unity which is Christ s gift already to his Church. I thank the bishop and our brothers and sisters of the diocese of Cork and Ross.