Historic Talks Begin In Dublin

Government And Religious Leaders Meet For Bilateral Discussions At Dublin Castle

Historic talks began on Monday between the Government and religious organisations.

At a ceremony in Dublin Castle, the Taoiseach and Tánaiste officially welcomed representatives of the major Christian churches in Ireland, together with Jewish and Muslim leaders.

The ground-breaking initiative reflects the significant role of churches in Ireland and builds on the provision for dialogue with the churches and other non-confessional bodies in the draft Constitutional Treaty for the European Union.

Speaking at the inaugural ceremony, the Taoiseach Bertie Ahern said that, "The Government wants to inaugurate a new departure and an open dialogue with all denominations that is respectful of every faith and that is equally mindful of those who profess none."

The talks are intended to reflect the increasingly diverse range of faith communities in Ireland and were first mooted by the Government in November 2004. Other religious bodies taking part in this week's talks included the Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist, Lutheran and Moravian churches.

"So much of what is happening within our society and in the wider world is bound up with questions of religion, religious identity and religious belief, that Governments, which refuse or fail to engage with religious communities and religious identities, risk failing in their fundamental duties to their citizens," added the Taoiseach.

"The moral attitudes inculcated in a culture of faith are at the core of the beliefs of very many more people who would not particularly consider themselves aligned with any particular creed or denomination.

"If modern Ireland were to dislocate from its hinterland of religious belief, our culture and our society would be cut adrift from its deepest roots and from one of its most vital sources of nourishment for its growth and direction into the future."

The Taoiseach also paid tribute to the "visionary Church personnel from all the denominations on the island, that we owe particular thanks for facilitating our education as a people".

"I believe that we are today putting in place a process which will build up a more tolerant, inclusive, reflective society, which will continue to change and evolve but which, like all societies over time, will continue the search for the meaning of life, the basis for the living of a good life, and the means to live in peace and harmony with our neighbours," he concluded.