All the Churches in England and Wales have been asked to place special emphasis on Northern Ireland in their sermons on Peace Sunday, named as January 6 by Pope Paul.
The Justice and Peace Commission. which made the appeal, states in a message sent to all parish priests that "Northern Ireland is oar problem, we can help in the solution but apathy makes us part of the cause. Of course, we wish it could all be settled peacefully soon, but do we really will it."
Suggestions for a sermon and bidding prayers are accompanied by a letter from Bishop Mahon, Auxiliary of Westminster and President of the Commission, "The tragedy of Northern Ireland is that it is Christians who are involved, Christians who cannot find the way to abandon hatred or violence," the sermon suggests.
"Christians whose homage to the Prince of Peace resembles that of Herod more than that of the wise men who came from theEast," the sermon states. "We must study the situation and batter down our prejudices . . . we must help financially through the funds set up by the churches."