Politics is an honourable profession and looking for the worst in those who offer themselves for public office is not helpful, the Church of Ireland Primate Archbishop Alan Harper has said.
"Politicians in all parts of this island deserve our respect in acknowledgement of the demanding nature of the task they undertake on our behalf," he said.
Archbishop Harper was speaking in his first presidential address at the Church of Ireland general synod in Kilkenny yesterday.
"Cynics and caricaturists have conditioned us to look for the worst in those who offer themselves for public office. This is not helpful. I believe a very different message needs to be heard, namely that politics is an honourable profession, that we recognise that politicians have a difficult job to do, and that they need our encouragement and support in order to ensure that they do their work well," he said.
"Clearly the electorate will hold politicians to account for their stewardship of the responsibilities they have sought and been given. The Church will feel free to criticise, cajole and encourage. Meanwhile, politicians in all parts of this island deserve our respect in acknowledgement of the demanding nature of the task they undertake on our behalf," he said.
Referring to yesterday's events at Stormont, which he described as "a giant leap forward", he said: "I believe that it is important for us to send a clear message of support to those now entering executive office. Much trust has been placed in them; much is expected of them; the hopes and dreams of millions in this island for a constructive, shared future, marked by justice, equality and mutual respect, lie squarely upon their shoulders."
At a press conference later he said he had met very few politicians of whom he couldn't say their intention was to do the best for those they served.
However, he was critical of "the bribery of electorates through auction politics" and emphasised that what was important in politics was integrity, which was recognised by the electorate when they saw it.
On Drumcree, which is in his Armagh diocese, he said he was hopeful the stalemate there could be resolved this year, but that was "not a prediction", he said.
He would be very happy to meet anyone involved with the situation, and had met some already.
In his general synod address he expressed "strong objection" to the "marginalisation" of the Church where "controlled schools" were concerned in Northern Ireland.
Since the Church of Ireland, the Presbyterian Church and the Methodist Church had transferred control of their schools to the State more than 60 years ago their influence on those schools had been "whittled away", he said.
He told the general synod he welcomed Taoiseach Bertie Ahern's initiative "on high-level, structured dialogue on government policy with stakeholders, including the Church of Ireland."
