“We were welcomed by families whose focus is now day-to-day survival and whose aspirations have been reduced to bare essentials such as electricity and clean water.”

President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales praises “witness and strength” of small Catholic community of 170 people out of a total population of 1.8 million.

To end hatred, self-destruction and fratricidal conflict is the main challenge for all involved in interfaith dialogue.

"The authors of the 1916 Proclamation were men of faith who dreamed dreams of hope for Ireland and for the Irish people," Archbishop Diarmuid Martin.

Archbishop Kieran O’Reilly of Cashel & Emly and Bishop Raymond Browne of Kerry will join the bishops of the Holy Land Co-ordination in solidarity visit.

Archbishop Diarmuid Martin briefs journalists in the Vatican on Saturday, halfway through the Synod discussions.