ARCHBISHOP of Canterbury Justin Welby said the Corrymeela peace and reconciliation centre was a "legendary, extraordinary place" which gives Northern Ireland politicians a "vision of what can be done."
The archbishop was in Belfast yesterday to take part in a special thanksgiving service at St Anne’s Cathedral to mark Corrymeela’s 50th anniversary.
Archbishop Welby said he was "privileged" to take part in the service, which also featured contributions from Catholic Primate Archbishop Eamon Martin and Corrymeela community leader Padraig O Tuama.
On Friday former Irish President Mary Robinson said the centre – which is based in Ballycastle and works on cross-community and cross-border reconciliation projects – had made an "outstanding contribution" to the north over the years.
Archbishop Welby said Corrymeela - founded by Ray Davey in 1965 – "sprang up at the right time, just when it was needed" before the outbreak of the Troubles.
"It seems to me that that was God’s providence," he said. "Jesus Christ was born in a place that was torn apart by conflict and war… There’s always going to be conflict and there will always be a need for places where people feel safe enough to expose themselves to the deep issues that divide them – and Corrymeela provides that.
"Everyone thinks you have meetings and sign a few agreements and it’s all done and dusted; it really isn’t. Changing the human heart takes generations and Corrymeela is going to be essential to that.
"It shows there is hope for people who are deeply divided to meet each other and talk and find their common humanity. It’s an extraordinary legacy. Corrymeela is a legendary place, an extraordinary place."
He said he didn’t want to tell northern politicians how to do their jobs, but with the latest round of talks looming at Stormont he said they "need to do more."
"The key message is perseverance. The process of reconciliation is one where you either keep going or you fall off. Politicians have such a tough job, but they need to take all the necessary risks in order to move the situation forward. Corrymeela acts as a light and as a vision of what can be done."
The archbishop - a strong critic of the British government’s response to the ongoing refugee crisis - announced last month that he would house two Syrian families at Lambeth Palace, his official London residence.
"The Church of England bishops wrote to the government, saying that we needed to do more," he said yesterday. "So if you’re going to say that, you’ve got to do something and all over the country the church has been making offers to take people in to use our facilities.
"At Lambeth we have a house that’s available where we can take two families and that’s what we’ve offered to do."
