THIRTY bishops from 18 Churches in Europe met in Larne, Northern Ireland, to see the work of collaboration between Christian denominations.

The meeting was organised by the Focolare Movement, a global ecumenical group which promotes dialogue. The theme of the gathering, held last month, was “In a divided world, united in Christ”.

They met Christians who told of their experiences of working across the religious divide in Northern Ireland. During a service, the bishops — from Churches which included Anglican, Roman Catholic, Methodist, Evangelical Lutheran, and Syrian Orthodox — made a commitment to love each other’s Church and consider each other’s crosses as their own, so that all may be one.

The RC Bishop of Limerick, Dr Brendan Leahy, said: “There was a wonderful coming together of the international and local. In a really upbeat atmosphere, people were able to share stories, experiences, and insights in a way that gave us all a lift and offered hope.”