Northern Ireland an example that conflict can be overcome, pope says

Published: 2007-09-17

CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy (CNS) -- Pope Benedict XVI pointed to the Northern Ireland peace process as an example to "other troubled zones of our world" that all conflict can be overcome peacefully. After 30 years of conflict, peace in Northern Ireland was "achieved through widespread international support, determined political resolve on the part of both the Irish and the British governments, and the readiness of individuals and communities to embrace the sublime human capacity to forgive," he said. The pope made his comments in a Sept. 15 address to Ireland's new ambassador to the Vatican, Noel Fahey, who presented his credentials to the pope at the papal summer villa in Castel Gandolfo. The entire world "has taken heart" from the success of the Northern Ireland peace process, which sent a "wave of hope" that "conflict, no matter how ingrained, can be overcome," the pope said.

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