Northern Ireland

Ukrainian refugees could be housed in unused Catholic Church buildings

Catholic primate Archbishop Eamon Martin (left) and Church of Ireland primate Archbishop John McDowell speaking to the media in Armagh on the war in Ukraine and the response to the refugee crisis. Picture by David Young, Press Association
Catholic primate Archbishop Eamon Martin (left) and Church of Ireland primate Archbishop John McDowell speaking to the media in Armagh on the war in Ukraine and the response to the refugee crisis. Picture by David Young, Press Association Catholic primate Archbishop Eamon Martin (left) and Church of Ireland primate Archbishop John McDowell speaking to the media in Armagh on the war in Ukraine and the response to the refugee crisis. Picture by David Young, Press Association

UKRAINIAN refugees could be housed in some unused buildings owned by the Catholic Church in Ireland.

Archbishop Eamon Martin said the church is looking to see whether empty halls and school buildings could be used.

"In all our parishes, we have invited our parish, pastoral councils and finance councils and the priests to consider if there are properties that we could make available for Ukrainian families," he said.

"And I think that in the coming days and weeks there'll be a lot of activity on the ground. I think our parishes would like to be at the forefront of this. We made contact with the department in Dublin at the bishops' conference last week to say, 'Look, what can we do to help?'

"I think this really will be an effort of the whole community here, both north and south, to open our hearts and open our doors in welcome for these refugees who have been through such horrors that we're seeing on our screens."

As part of a joint St Patrick's Day message, Archbishop Martin and Church of Ireland primate Archbishop John McDowell yesterday called for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine.

"We fear that the humanitarian crisis which this madness has caused may yet accelerate before it dissipates," they said.

The church leaders offered their prayers for the people of Ukraine, including those who have been forced to leave their homes.

"We also acknowledge the many Russian people, here and in their homeland, who bear no responsibility for this heart-breaking situation and who share our desire for peace and an end to this terrible violence," they said.

They added: "May all Christians of Europe, including Patriarch Kirill and the Russian Orthodox Church, unite in daily spiritual and practical efforts in support of a ceasefire, humanitarian outreach and the immediate laying down of weapons."

The archbishops said they were encouraged that people across Ireland were "instinctively reaching out in a massive humanitarian effort of support and solidarity, especially towards the millions of refugees who have fled their homeland".

"Many individuals and parish communities have already been extremely generous in establishing active links with charitable projects in Ukraine and along its borders to support refugees and those remaining in their homeland," they said.

"We wholeheartedly support and encourage these efforts."

The church leaders said war "represents the failure of politics, diplomacy and dialogue".

"Our community reflection here in Ireland on what is happening today in Europe should help us learn lessons for our own peace process, about the importance of never taking our progress in peace for granted, never giving up on dialogue and the building of bridges and mutual understanding across historical divides," they said.

Yesterday people took part in an inter-faith service in west Belfast to pray for the people of Ukraine.

People from Catholic and Protestant traditions, as well as those from the north's Muslim and Jewish communities, were among those who took part in the service at Forthspring on the Springfield Road.

:: The Irish News has partnered with the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) – which brings together charities including Concern Worldwide, the Red Cross and Save The Children – to raise money for refugees fleeing Ukraine.

Donations can be made at justgiving.com/fundraising/inews, or TEXT AID to 70150 to donate £10 plus your standard network charge.

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