Prominent Northern Ireland politician meets with Irish archbishop

Published: 2006-10-09

BELFAST, Northern Ireland (CNS) -- Two days before Northern Ireland's political leaders were to meet to discuss restoration of a power-sharing government, a prominent Protestant politician met with Archbishop Sean Brady of Armagh, Northern Ireland. Archbishop Brady and the Rev. Ian Paisley, founder and leader of the Democratic Unionist Party and the Free Presbyterian Church, discussed areas of social concern. Several other members of Parliament from Rev. Paisley's party and several other Catholic leaders joined the meeting at the Stormont government buildings in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Oct. 9. British and Irish commentators saw the move as significant partly because it signaled that Rev. Paisley is willing to work with Catholics. The Northern Ireland peace process has been in a stalemate because the Democratic Unionist Party refuses to join in a power-sharing executive with Sinn Fein, the political wing of the Irish Republican Army, a paramilitary group now observing a cease-fire.

Copyright (c) 2006 Catholic News Service /U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The CNS news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed, including but not limited to such means as framing or any other digital copying or distribution method, in whole or in part without the prior written authority of Catholic News Service .