The Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland, Cardinal Seán Brady, the man who has been forced to admit publicly that he was present when two Catholic Children were forced to sign letters of secrecy about their RAPE at the hands of a Catholic Priest, has said he would like to see Irish people to foster community spirit in these harsh economic times.
"My hope and prayers for Ireland 2012 is that we become, once again, a more caring and neighbourly place especially in these austere recessionary times," Cardinal Brady said in his Christmas Day homily.
"May we rediscover more clearly the spirit of generosity, reverence of the sacred, respect for creation, that have been our hallmark since the time of St Patrick."
Speaking at St Patrick's Cathedral in Armagh, Dr Brady said he believed people yearned for a more thoughtful way of life than the frantic, grab-all-you-can lifestyle that demanded so much time and energy today.
The Catholic Archbishop of Dublin and Primate of Ireland, Dr Diarmuid Martin, has spoken of worshippers whose bonds with church life has slackened.
In his homily at midnight mass on Christmas Eve, the archbishop said he greeted those who bore within them the hurt, wounds and doubts of life's hardships, especially if that hurt had sprung from their experience of the church.
The Head of the Catholic Church in England and Wales, Archbishop Vincent Nichols, used his Christmas Eve homily to ask worshippers to pray for Palestinians who are facing a legal battle to protect their homes from "further expropriation" by Israel.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, used his Christmas sermon today to speak about how society has been torn apart by the excesses of the banking industry.
Dr Rowan Williams said this year's riots and financial crisis have led to "broken bonds and abused trust" in Britain.
He added: "The most pressing question we now face... is who and where we are as a society."
