THE Catholic and Anglican primates of Ireland have urged people to bring safety into the lives of others this Christmas.
Church of Ireland Archbishop Richard Clarke and Catholic Archbishop Eamon Martin spoke of a visit to Rome in their joint Christmas message.
They met the Sant’Egidio Community which cares for refugees. Three Eritrean girls, they said, arrived in Rome that day, having been rescued from danger in Ethiopia.
In conversation, they asked the girls how they were now feeling.
One of them, they said, "with a sudden huge smile on her face, replied in just one word - safe," the archbishops said.
"There are people in our midst who are without the security of food or even of a roof over their heads. There are those who are newcomers to our country, perhaps of a different religious faith and culture, who feel that they are objects of suspicion and dislike.
"And there are also those whose need for security in their lives is less evident - those who are alone and afraid, those who are without friends and without people who will look out for them, and some who feel that their lives have become aimless or useless, almost empty of hope and confidence.
"Christmas is a time when many of us are happy to have the emotional security and safety of our family and friends around us, and the comfort and assurance of strong faith in the birth of the Saviour. Let us be ready to share our safety and our `reasons for hoping' with others."
