Following on from World Refugee Day on Friday (20th June) – designated by the UN Refugee Agency to honour people who have been forced to flee home – a new leaflet is being made available, to prompt Christians to consider their role in welcoming those who have arrived on this island.

Room at the Inn – A Welcome for the Stranger has been produced by Belonging Without Boundaries, an ecumenical group supported by the Church of Ireland’s Commission for Christian Unity and Dialogue.

The people of Ireland, its writers note, are no strangers to the migrant experience. As Christians, we have a core belief that we are all made in the image and likeness of God and this respect for the integrity of human life is best displayed in the commandment to ‘love your neighbour as yourself’.

The leaflet is available to download from this page on the Church of Ireland website, and hard copies are available by arrangement by emailing Lynn Glanville, Communications Officer for the Dioceses of Dublin and Glendalough, at dcodublin@gmail.com

Belonging Without Boundaries promotes truth with compassion towards the building of an inclusive and welcoming society throughout the island of Ireland, and also includes representatives from the Association of Leaders of Missionaries and Religious of Ireland (AMRI), the Methodist Church in Ireland, Crosscare and Dublin City Interfaith Forum.

Enquiries for the Press Office can be made through the contact details below or through the online contact form at the following link: www.churchofireland.org/contact

Church of Ireland Press Office

Tel: (028/048) 9082 8880
Duty mobile: +353 87 9484412

“Conflict about racism is becoming more frequent and more polarised… It can be overwhelming [to think about how we change society’s attitude] but in your circle of influence, you are safe. The more individuals are changed, the more the world is changed. So when you change your circle of influence, you can ultimately change the world,” she stated.

This year’s Dialogue of Friendship event drew 40 participants from a range of faith backgrounds, all with a shared interest in interfaith and intercultural dialogue. The conference is organised by the Church of Ireland Interfaith Working Group and the Sanctuary in Faith stream of Places of Sanctuary Ireland. Both dialogue and friendship were evident throughout the day with participants engaging enthusiastically in the question and answers sessions. Over the break time and lunch hour there was an energetic buzz of conversation as attendees connected with one another and with the speakers and presenters.  

The event was introduced by the Revd Abigail Sines of Sanctuary of Faith while the Revd Stephen Taylor of Dundrum Methodist Church welcomed participants.

Setting the stage for dialogue, Archbishop Michael Jackson noted the “pulsating and exciting diversity and difference” that is alive in Irish society today adding that a previous generation would marvel at the range of people any of us meets each day.

“There is a suppurating underbelly to this, however, the emerging and embedding of a form of racism which is physical and also virtual. This is an ebbtide that sucks so much of the good out of the efforts of those who seek to be accommodating, welcoming and responsive. It erodes trust, capacity and contribution,” he stated.

The Archbishop said that the theme of ‘listening well’ captured the urgency to dig down into the self–understanding of communities and to focus the human curiosity on what is good. “Churches and communities are often uneasy partners. Proactive friendship, such as is engendered and energized by a conference like today’s conference, is essential to closing the gap of comprehension in order to close the gap of fear, suspicion and rejection,” he said.

He also stated that the work of the Northern Ireland Interfaith Forum and Holocaust Education Ireland, both of which were presenting at the conference, was important because of the rise of anti–Semitism and Islamophobia.

From Fear to Friendship

In her keynote address Dr Joseph took the theme ‘From Fear to Friendship: Cultivating Acceptance, One Conversation at a Time’. The diversity and race relations consultant and Special Rapporteur to the National Action Plan Against Racism, spoke about the need to break down fear and division in society. “Fear is a powerful tool and many times it saves us… Far right groups use emotional narratives to create fear,” she said. “Fear means we can’t see clearly. It creates panic and division.”

She suggested that this is not just online noise. Fear shapes policies – she cited the 2004 Citizenship referendum in which migrant women were framed as ‘citizenship tourists’ and misinformation led to policy change. It also shapes protest and public opinion. But behind the narrative are real people who are impacted by the spread of misinformation and mistrust, she said. Black males in particular are at risk, even if they are born in Ireland. She said the stories about unvetted males and people coming to Ireland to take ‘our jobs’ are dog whistles which trigger real danger for ethnic minorities.

Dr Joseph added that when we hear false narratives and say nothing to contradict them, we are complicit. “It is not good enough to be a non–racist. You must be an anti–racist. If you see a rape and don’t say anything, you are complicit in that rape. It is the same for racism,” she explained.

Dr Joseph emphasised the importance of listening well as encouraged in James 1: 19 which cautions people to be quick to listen and slow to speak. She also urged people to move beyond belonging, or passive inclusion, to acceptance. She said belonging is passive but acceptance means that someone must let you in and that is active.

“You cannot belong before you are accepted. When you want me to belong, that is my problem. But when you ask ‘How can I be more accepting of Ebun?’ that is putting the responsibility on yourself,” she explained. “Racism is a shaming experience. We ask ‘What is it about me that makes people think this about me?’ So acceptance is active. Let’s ask ‘What am I doing to accept people who are different from me?’ ‘Am I tolerating?’ No one asks to be tolerated. We should accept difference. Accept that this is a true representation of me. You don’t have to like it. But don’t judge it. I didn’t have any part in being born black just as you didn’t have any part in being born white.”

The far right thrives on fear and targets migrants and people who are vulnerable, she said. She urged people to counter their lies with empathy and courage. “The myth of the unvetted man isn’t based on evidence but it causes harm to all men who are different. The myth of people taking our jobs creates panic and results in hate speech and violence. It endangers people who are different. We have a shared humanity. When we look at what we have in common not what is different, this is what helps us to grow. I am not saying that difference should not be celebrated or that it should be ignored,” she commented. She pointed to the Dublin riots as an example of what hate can do.

What can faith communities do?

Faith communities can model love and justice, Dr Joseph said. They can foster dialogue and inclusion and follow the example of the Good Samaritan. She asked churches to create a space where everybody feels safe and where dialogue can take place. “Faith is not just what we believe, it is how we behave,” she stated. She suggested that churches should be first to adopt the National Action Plan Against Racism.

Individuals and church communities can start conversations, they can interrupt disinformation, they can listen and speak up for the vulnerable, they can support inclusive policies. “Let’s listen with humanity and willingness to learn. Moving from fear to friendship begins with courage. We must make space for others and ask ‘Who have I listened to?’ and ‘Who have I not heard?’ What is the one action I can take in my community?’ ‘Who is missing from the room and how can I include them the next time?’,” she concluded.

Panel Discussions

The first of the panel discussions featured Gideon Yutzy and Kent Chadwick of the Waterford Conversation Club whose members from different nationalities meet regularly for conversation and food. It provides opportunities for people from the locality who would not normally come into contact with each other to get together and understand each other. Gideon and Kent said this helped build community, cohesion and acceptance. In the digital age, sitting around and talking face to face could be considered to be counter cultural and radical, they said. The group had trained participants to listen more attentively and actively to the views of others.

Pastor Hudson Kaunda and Medahan Weldegabir of All Nations Ministries, Belfast described the work of the Christian charity which supports local people, migrants, refugees and asylum seekers in North Belfast. They reach out to the vulnerable through a variety of projects including providing household items and clothing; courses in English, life in the UK, sewing, driving theory and IT; an allotment; and providing upcycled bikes to newcomers and locals. Through their work they make Christ known to those who they serve. They explained that for newcomers arriving in Belfast as refugees or asylum seekers, it is a culture shock and All Nations Ministries helps to support newcomers as they adapt. They said it was important to accept people and treat them with love.

The Northern Ireland Interfaith Forum promotes cooperation and understanding among different religious and ethnic groups in Northern Ireland. Ed Peterson and Edwin Graham spoke about their activities in recent years which includes the Peace Plus Programme. This focuses on education, climate action, and peace and reconciliation. They spoke about the importance of bringing what is happening in Northern Ireland to the attention of the government and added that the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs had been supportive in relation to the sectarian divide and was making an effort to include interfaith matters in its portfolio.

Lynn Jackson spoke about the work of Holocaust Education Ireland which promotes Holocaust education, awareness and remembrance. The first Holocaust Memorial Day in Ireland took place in 2003 and it takes place on January 27 each year. Holocaust education followed on from this leading to resources for teachers and schools. Two years ago 40,000 children in Ireland planted crocuses for Holocaust Memorial Day. Ms Jackson said that these are very difficult times for Jewish people worldwide, many of whom are horrified by what is happening in the Israel–Gaza conflict which she described as heartbreaking. Within this highly charged context, Jewish people on the receiving end of abuse are terrified and she feared much of the good work in Holocaust education could be lost.

Closing Reflections

Reflecting on the day Dr Lucy Michael of the Archbishop of Armagh’s Reference Group on Racial Equality and Justice noted that shared humanity was a common theme amongst all the speakers. “The word dialogue has perhaps been undermined by those who want to undermine other people’s human rights,” she commented emphasising the power of connection and having the courage to stand with those who were on the receiving end of racism.

In her concluding remarks, the Revd Suzanne Cousins of the Interfaith Working Group said there had been much food for thought during the day. She thanked everyone for engaging in the dialogue of friendship. She said that there was a call for all to hear, in keeping with the Christian tradition, of being willing to stand between another and harm. She thanked Dundrum Methodist for hosting the event and the caterer, M&H Kitchen, a women–led business established by Leina Ibnouf.

What does it mean to speak about just peace in times of a war? A newly released video – Pathways to Just Peace – offers a compelling array of voices, all of which contribute to the ongoing and complex answer to this often painful question.

An outcome of the European Consultation on Just Peace, organised by the Conference of European Churches (CEC) in December 2024 as part of its Pathways to Peace initiative, the video captures key insights, reflections, and testimonies on how churches and ecumenical partners are responding to war and conflict, and working together to promote a vision of just peace grounded in Christian values.

The diversity of voices and images in the video broadens and deepens this vision. As CEC’s President, Archbishop Nikitas of Thyateira and Great Britain, notes, “we come from different places, different understandings.”

Voices from Ukraine challenge the traditional ecumenical definition of just peace.  The Revd Anatolyi Raychynets of the Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organisations, and Deputy General Secretary of the Ukrainian Bible Society, reflects in the video on how Ukrainian churches perceive the concept of just peace.

“War is going on. People are dying every day. We see a lot of needs among people – millions of refugees. Just peace for us is when evil is banished and people ‘s rights are restored, when justice is restored. It is our desire to move from war to just peace,” he says.

With both current and historic footage and images, the video raises poignant questions, sharing perspectives from CEC member churches.  Other concepts presented – and called into question – include the right of self–defence, the weaponization of religion, and human dignity.

As CEC’s General Secretary, the Revd Frank Dieter Fischbach, notes at the video’s conclusion, the answers have yet to be revealed: “We have not finished the debate or the discussions.”

Learn more about Pathways to Peace here

Listing image courtesy of CEC/Łukasz Troc

Grief Tech – a Zoom webinar on what artificial intelligence may offer people who are bereaved in future – will take place on Wednesday, 11th June, from 2.30pm to 4.00pm.

Sanctuary Sunday is taking place on 22nd June, as part of Refugee Week which this year takes ‘Community as a Superpower’ as its theme.  Sanctuary Sunday aims to promote the Church of Sanctuary programme building cultures of welcome, hospitality and safety in our churches.

On Friday, 11th July, the Remembering Srebrenica commemoration will recall the 30th anniversary of the mass murder of 8,372 men and boys in one town in Bosnia.  Information on this year’s events will be available soon and CTBI is letting churches which may have an interest in the occasion know about the resources available in advance as the day will fall over the middle of the summer.

The May update from CTBI is available here

The message seeks to bear witness to the Resurrection of Christ and has been signed by General Secretaries and ecumenical representatives of the Communions involved.

It calls for Christians to work for the unity of the Church, praying for “the Holy Spirit to move our Communions to live and walk together, in obedience to the call of Jesus’ that all his disciples may be one.”

It also offers words of hope “at this time of great political instability in the world, when so many live with fear, suffering, persecution, famine, and other forms of instability and vulnerability.” All Christians are called together to proclaim the good news of “repentance and forgiveness of sins … to all nations” (Luke 24:47–48).

The statement embodies the Communions’ conviction that “that the Lord calls us to agreement, and unified witness,” in a year when the coincidence of Christian calendars will see all Christian churches, West and East, celebrate the Day of Resurrection on Sunday, April 20.

Historically, the date of Easter has differed between Eastern and Western churches. The Gregorian calendar, used by most Western churches, differs from the Julian calendar, which is the basis for calculating Easter in some Eastern Orthodox churches. 

Pope Francis and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew have publicly advocated for a shared Easter date, seeing it as a step towards greater unity among Christians. 

2025 is also significant as the 1,700th anniversary of the Nicene Creed, formulated by the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD (and later revised at the Council of Constantinople in 381 AD).

The Nicene Creed presents the most authoritative statement of trinitarian Christian faith. 

Speaking in support of the statement, the Secretary General of the Anglican Communion, the Right Reverend Anthony Poggo, said: “2025 is an important year, in which we celebrate a joint Easter and celebrate the Nicene Creed as a universal statement of faith for all Christian people. The Anglican Communion joyfully stands with fellow Christian World Communions in calling Christians globally to prayer, to common witness and to the unity of God’s Church.”

The statement reads in full as follows:

‘You are witnesses of these things.’ Luke 24:48

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ throughout the world,

Alleluia! Christ is risen!

As representatives of 12 Christian World Communions, present in every nation on earth, we are moved and grateful to speak with one voice and one heart about our Lord’s resurrection, which we have witnessed and profess together.

Together, from East and West, North and South, in this year of our Lord 2025, we have been given by God the great gift of a shared date of Easter. Devout Christians have prayed for generations that this may be possible. Though we have not yet achieved agreement on the date of Easter in perpetuity, we have no doubt that the Lord calls us to agreement, and unified witness, so that the world may believe (John 17:21).

As a further summons, God in his mercy has enabled us this year to mark the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea and its Creed. We are humbled and amazed that we can, on this Easter, profess together the fact that:

On the third day he rose again
in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory
to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.

In the light of these gifts, we call upon the Holy Spirit to move our Communions to live and walk together, in obedience to the call of Jesus’ that all his disciples may be one. We hope to hear his ‘words’ anew, just as when he appeared to his disciples after his resurrection and ‘opened their minds to understand the scriptures,’ namely, that the Messiah must suffer and rise, ‘and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations’ (Luke 24:44–47). At this time of great political instability in the world, when so many live with fear, suffering, persecution, famine, and other forms of instability and vulnerability, we would seek together to be ‘witnesses of these things’ of God, accomplished by our Lord and Saviour (24:48). For this purpose, we pray over and over again with eager expectation and hope that we may all be one, ‘clothed with power from on high’ (24:49).

May the Lord grant us his Spirit of cooperation and obedience, forgive us our sins, and use us as his instruments of reconciliation and healing in the world.

And may God bathe our hearts and minds in the cleansing light of his resurrection from the dead. Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! 

The Very Revd Fr Hrant Tahanian
Ecumenical Officer
Armenian Apostolic Church, Holy See of Cilicia

The Right Revd Anthony Poggo
Secretary General
Anglican Communion

The Revd Elijah Brown
General Secretary & CEO
Baptist World Alliance

Tina Bruner
General Secretary and Executive Director
Christian Church and Churches of Christ

Bishop Maximos of Melitene
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Thyateira and Great Britain
Ecumenical Patriarchate

The Revd Christoph Amstad Schuler
Ecumenical Officer
International Old Catholic Bishop’s Conference/Old Catholic Church

The Revd Anne Burghardt
General Secretary
Lutheran World Federation

The Revd Jørgen Bøytler
Unity Board Administrator
Moravian Church Worldwide Unity Board

The Revd César García
General Secretary
Mennonite World Conference

The Revd David Wells
Vice–Chair
Pentecostal World Fellowship 

Commissioner Jane Paone
Secretary for International Ecumenical Relations
The Salvation Army 

The Revd Reynaldo Ferreira Leão Neto
General Secretary
World Methodist Council 

Shared on behalf of the Commission for Christian Unity and Dialogue