Archbishop Eamon Martin with Archbishop Richard Clarke The archbishops of Armagh have pleaded with parishioners not to allow increasingly depressing statistics about homelessness “dull the reality that behind each of these numbers lies a personal story of distress and hardship”.
In a joint message due to be released this weekend, Archbishop Eamon Martin and his Church of Ireland counterpart Richard Clarke combine to highlight the pressing needs of homeless people, particularly families.
“Think,” they write, “for a moment of what it would be like this Christmas to be without a home. To be without a place of shelter.
“Sadly, that is the reality for many people in Ireland today who are homeless. The endless repetition of statistics about housing and homelessness, particularly at this time of the year, should not dull the reality that behind each of these numbers lies a personal story of distress and hardship,” the prelates state.
Comfort
“Jesus readily identified with the homeless. He said, ‘foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.’ (Luke 9:58). For much of his ministry he was a wandering preacher, travelling here and there without a permanent home, healing, teaching and bringing comfort to others. Even at the beginning of his life – in the story retold in the Christmas Gospel – he was born and laid in a manger, not within the warmth of a human home.
“Jesus said that when you and I reach out the hand of friendship to those in need, it is the same as reaching out to him, as much as reaching out for him,” the archbishops write highlighting the visit of Pope Francis to a homeless centre in Dublin during the World Meeting of Families.
“During the summer, speaking to those who avail of the services of the Capuchin Day Centre for homeless people in Dublin, Pope Francis said: ‘Do you know why you come here with trust? Because they help you without detracting from your dignity. For them, each of you is Jesus Christ.’”