Church has enthroned new primate

Bishop Harper succeeds Dr Robin Eames

The new head of the Church of Ireland has appealed for lasting peace in Northern Ireland.

Speaking during his enthronement ceremony, Archbishop Alan Harper said it was time to cement the truce between the two communities in NI.

The ceremony, which was attended by the Duke of Edinburgh and Irish President Mary McAleese, took place at St Patrick's Cathedral in Armagh.

"It is time to turn from truce to peace," he said.

"The wounds that are the signs of our divisions are deep and stubbornly hard to heal, yet you and I, with the whole church of God, are charged with that healing.

"We must declare, yes, even the disobedient, divided and historically quarrelsome church must declare, that the will of Christ is unity, that the church is a family with shared DNA, and also that we, the people who share a home here, belong to each other.

"We are one community, tragically divided but not separate, not competing, not alien communities."

Sinn Fein's Newry and Armagh MP Conor Murphy and colleague Martina Anderson were among around 700 guests.

Leaders from the Catholic and Methodist churches and former Presbyterian Moderator Ken Newell were also present.

Archbishop Harper takes over from retired Anglican Primate Dr Robin Eames who retired after 20 years in the position in December.

His replacement was chosen during a meeting of Church or Ireland leaders in Dublin earlier this year.

The Archbishop, 62, was ordained in 1978, serving in the diocese of Derry and Connor.

He served as Archdeacon of Connor from 1996 until his consecration as Bisho of Connor five years ago.