The Roman Catholic and Church of Ireland Archbishops of Dublin, Diarmuid Martin and Michael Jackson, will lead an ecumenical procession through Dublin city centre on Good Friday. The procession will be the first of its kind in the capital and in an act of visible witness will see a cross being borne from Christ Church Cathedral to St Mary’s Pro Cathedral. Members of the congregation, including the Archbishops, will take it in turns to carry the cross along the route which covers a distance of almost two kilometres.
Participants will gather at Christ Church Cathedral on Friday April 6 at 7.15 pm for a prayer service. The procession will depart at 7.30 pm and is expected to arrive at St Mary’s Pro Cathedral at 8.00 pm when there will be a Taizé Service with prayers at the foot of the cross.
The procession is the brainchild of the two Archbishops who felt they wanted to join together to establish an ecumenical event for the city on one of the most significant days in the Christian calendar. They hope that people of both traditions will come together to pray and produce a visible sign of the churches’ work together in the wider community.
“The Good Friday Procession between Christ Church Cathedral and St Mary’s Pro Cathedral holds together a common Christian witness to the love of God in the depth of suffering and loss,” explained Archbishop Michael Jackson. “It shares with the citizens of Dublin the conviction which both Archbishop Martin and I hold, that what unites us in Christ is more significant and transformative than whatever divides us. I invite and encourage as many people as possible to walk with us on this journey of Jesus.”
Archbishop Diarmuid Martin welcomed the opportunity this unique event provides for Christians in Dublin to walk together and bear the Cross in the streets of the city. Archbishop Martin said “Our common witness to Jesus Christ is more necessary if we wish to be heard and appreciate and contribute to the common good of a society which is becoming increasingly secularised. We offer the symbol of the Cross as we commemorate the day in which God revealed himself in an extraordinary way as the one of who would lead us to salvation. We offer it to those who join with us on our journey and in our meditation. We offer it to those who pass by. Together, we offer it to those who care to notice and those who do not. ”
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