He highlighted the horrors of racism and recalls that from small beginnings, "somewhere in the minds of evil people" a horrific harvest was reaped in ethnic strife in different parts of the world, including the Balkans, South Africa, and worst of all, the Holocaust.

Dr. Empey urged people to see immigrants as enriching Irish society and called on everyone, particularly the media, schools and the Churches to be vigilant regarding racist attitudes and language, which incites hatred. He condemned "strong language from a minority of our elected representatives who ought to know better" and pointed out that Jesus did not die "just for black people or white people or brown people, for Unionist or Nationalist, for English or Irish, but for ALL people everywhere and for all time".

Click here for the full text of the Archbishop's address