Joint Statement from the Catholic and Church of Ireland Bishops of Dromore

05 Nov 2012

A JOINT STATEMENT FROM THE CATHOLIC AND CHURCH OF IRELAND BISHOPS OF DROMORE

1 November 2012

The tragic and ruthless murder of a prison officer on the M1 this morning is a morally bankrupt act which has no place in a civilized society. It is to be utterly condemned.

We wish jointly to express our sympathy to the family of David Black in their great loss, and to assure them of our heartfelt prayers.

This is a time for our whole community to come together in declaring that such violence against any person, whatever the motive, is utterly unacceptable.

Our society has made great progress in recent years. We are determined, with God’s help, to continue in the ways of peace to work towards a future where all people are respected, regardless of their political or religious identity.

Those who perpetrated such a vicious attack represent a very small number of people, and are entirely out of step with the direction of the wider community. They will never be allowed to take us back to the divisions and fear of the past.

+JOHN MCAREAVEY

+HAROLD MILLER

Ends

1 November 2012