CHURCHES' VIEW:IRELAND'S FOUR main church leaders have described "the brutal murder of two soldiers and injuring of others including civilians at Massereene (on Saturday night) is a shocking development which is an attack on our whole community.''
In a joint statement the Catholic primate Cardinal Seán Brady, the Church of Ireland primate Archbishop Alan Harper, the Presbyterian Moderator Rev Dr Donald Patton and the Methodist President Rev Alan Ferguson said “it takes us back to events which we thought we had left in the past and is a dangerous attempt to destabilise the peace process which must not be allowed to succeed.
They said they were “encouraged by the way the whole community has come together to condemn these murders and to affirm our belief in a reconciled future,’’ and asked that “everyone to give full support to the police and to work together with our politicians for a stable and peaceful society with respect for all.’’
In a separate statement the Irish Catholic Bishops, who began their spring meeting in Maynooth yesterday, condemned “in the strongest possible terms, the murderous attack carried out at Massareene barracks on Saturday night.’’
They appealed “to everyone who has information, which might help to bring to justice those involved in carrying out this attack, to give that information to the police.’’
