|PIC1|The Most Rev Dr Robin Eames, the Archbishop of Armagh, and Primate of All Ireland and Metropolitan has announced that he is to retire at the end of this year.

The announcement if Dr Eames’ decision has been made to the General Synod of the Church of Ireland, and the decision is scheduled to take effect on 31st December 2006.

Dr Eames, 69, has been a bishop for 31 years, and was appointed as the Archbishop of Armagh 20 years ago in 1986. Currently he holds the position as the senior primate in the worldwide Anglican Communion.

From now until the end of the year, Dr Eames has made it his intention to continue with all his duties and responsibilities as the Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland, and to make the way for his successor to be set up.

In what has now become his last Easter message to his congregants, Dr Eames last month extolled the forgiveness of Christ as he faced the Cross at Calvary and expressed his hope for reconciliation in Northern Ireland.

|TOP|The Most Rev Dr Robin Eames urged forgiveness in order to bring about true reconciliation in the country that is still in the process of bringing to a full conclusion decades of hostility and conflict.

Moving on to the present situation in Northern Ireland, Archbishop Eames said: “Despite all the difficulties and set-backs things are changing in Northern Ireland. There is hope as we see what was unimaginable even a few years ago becoming a reality.

“But true reconciliation cannot be enforced. Forgiveness is part of reconciliation. Forgiveness demands much – in fact too much for some. But understanding encompasses both hope and openness to each other.

“In that process we as a community can and must move on. The Resurrection experience demands nothing less.”

Archbishop Eames will step down at the end of the year, and the Church of Ireland House of Bishops will consider in due course the selection of a successor.