Irish Catholic Primate Meets With Orange Order Leaders

From Catholic World News

Jun. 05 (CWNews.com) - Archbishop Sean Brady of Armagh, the Primate of All Ireland, held an unprecedented meeting on June 5 with leaders of the Orange Orders, the militant Protestant group that has frequently been involved in clashes with Catholic activists in Northern Ireland.

The parades held by the Orange Orders each year have regularly provoked violence, particularly in marches through predominantly Catholic sections of divided towns. This year, as the "marching season" begins, leaders of the Protestant group requested a meeting with the Catholic primate.

Archbishop Brady praised the Orange leaders for "their willingness to go beyond the barriers of history" by talking with Catholic leaders. The meeting, he said, was "an important first step" in reconciling groups that have regarded each other as enemies for generations.