"Beyond the mystery of the Christian Story of Christmas there are serious questions it poses for today’s society. Behind the joy of the birth of the Prince of Peace there are moral issues and moral questions society cannot ignore if we honestly believe Christ was the real Prince of Peace. Those questions are about fairness, justice, inequality and how we exercise power. They are about how we live our lives beyond Christmas Day – how we seek to influence society throughout the year with the spirit of Christmas.

"Today Christians celebrate the birth of the Prince of Peace. As with that first Christmas a world of tension, division and suspicion will move on its way with varying degrees of recognition of that great event. The reality is that for large parts of this world it will be a non-event either because Christianity is not a part of its life or because famine, homelessness and war dominates too many lives.

"This Christmas the Christian message of the Birth of Christ once more speaks of joy and peace to those who believe.

"But the questions a Christian Christmas poses for us all extend far beyond today. The challenges of the Prince of Peace reach out into the world as it is – not as we would like it to be. Beyond the comforts and security so many of us enjoy, a world of desperate need cries out for hope and reassurance.

"In our own community the Prince of Peace compels us to ask how important real peace is for our lives. Day after day we see what violence does to people : to elderly people whose homes are raided : to members of other racial origins who have sought a home in our land : to victims of sectarian hatred. Every day we learn of the consequences for too many who try to live ordinary lives in our violent society.

"The Prince of Peace also compels us to ask about the role in our community life of a continuing threat of paramilitary violence. We can no longer deny the value of dialogue and debate devoid of the threat of violence. This raises the serious issue of the threat of paramilitary organisations which possess arms they have not given up – and it raises those questions to a moral level. In today’s climate surely the message of the Prince of Peace challenges the morality of any paramilitary force in a community struggling to find stability and peace? The desire of a huge majority of people here is for a peaceful future of justice and equality. The Christian meaning of today’s events can leave us in no doubt : the continuing threat of violence for any reason be it common assault or robbery, be it as political persuasion or intimidation is immoral.

"This Christmas Day so many in this community yearn for the real message of the Prince of Peace to extend out into the new year …"