The leaders of the main churches in Ireland have said they are greatly concerned "for the state of our fragile peace on this island" as the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement approaches.
In their New Year message, the leaders of the Church of Ireland, Catholic Church, Presbyterian Church in Ireland, Methodist Church in Ireland, and the Irish Council of Churches said "we are more aware than ever that the work of peace is unfinished".
They also praised the "compassionate and practical" response of people across the island of Ireland as they welcomed those who had fled the war in Ukraine and other conflicts around the world.
The message was issued by the Church Leaders' Group (Ireland), the Church of Ireland and Roman Catholic Archbishops of Armagh, John McDowell and Eamon Martin, Presbyterian Moderator Dr John Kirkpatrick, and the Presidents of the Methodist Church and Irish Council of Churches, Rev David Nixon and Bishop Andrew Forster.
On the refugee crisis created by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, they said: "As the most significant restrictions necessitated by the Covid-19 pandemic began to ease, war broke out in Europe with the invasion of Ukraine by Russia.
"When millions of people had to flee their homes there was however an extraordinary compassionate and practical response on our island, north and south, to welcoming and meeting the needs of those who arrived here."
On the continuing cost of living crisis, they said it had "impacted many areas of life" including exacerbating "the scandal of homelessness".
They said that another outcome was that "many who have a home find themselves unable to afford to heat it during the cold weather."
"This simply should not be the case in countries of great wealth, and shows the urgent need for a refocusing of government policies in both jurisdictions to deliver real and meaningful social justice and eliminate poverty across this island," they added.
Looking ahead to the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement next April, they said it had "transformed the conflict in Northern Ireland, resulting in countless lives being saved..."
But they also expressed "their great concern for the state of our fragile peace on this island..." and said they were "more aware than ever that the work of peace is unfinished."
They recommitted themselves "to continue our work towards a vision of an island of restored relationships, where all can flourish and fully participate in our common life."
