Press Releases23 Sep 25

Annual Meeting of Church of Ireland and Catholic Bishops

The now annual meeting of representatives of the Irish Episcopal Conference and the Church of Ireland House of Bishops took place at the Church of Ireland Theological Institute in Dublin on Monday, 22nd September 2025. Discussions were set in the context of the sharing of worship and hospitality.

Those present included:

On behalf of the Episcopal Conference

Bishop Niall Coll Bishop Larry Duffy Bishop Martin Hayes Bishop Brendan Leahy Bishop Gerard Nash Bishop Donal Roche Bishop Michael Router

On behalf of the House of Bishops

Bishop Michael Burrows Bishop Ian Ellis Archbishop Michael Jackson Bishop Adrian Wilkinson

In the course of a wide–ranging discussion, topics considered included:

·         perspectives on the papacy of Leo XIV

·         the unfolding tragedy of Gaza

·         the Churches and AI

·         curricular developments in primary education

These meetings are held as part of an Irish response to the request some years ago from the International Anglican Roman Catholic Commission for Unity and Mission (IARCCUM) that there should be regular meetings between Anglican and Roman Catholic bishops in countries where both share a parallel diocesan structure. The next such gathering will take place in Maynooth in September 2026.