Expression of Sympathy by the Bishop of Cork, Cloyne and Ross upon the death of Queen Elizabeth II

The Bishop of Cork, Cloyne and Ross, the Right Reverend Dr Paul Colton, has expressed sympathy, following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, to fellow members of the Church of Ireland in Northern Ireland and also to British citizens living in Cork, and especially those who are members of the United Dioceses of Cork, Cloyne and Ross.

Bishop Colton’s statement is as follows:

On this day when the new King Charles III and the Queen Consort visit Belfast, where they will attend a Service in Saint Anne’s Cathedral, I wish to extend my sympathy, not only to our fellow members of the Church of Ireland in Northern Ireland on the death of Queen Elizabeth, but also to the many British citizens who live among us here in Cork, most particularly those who have made their spiritual home in the Church of Ireland in Cork, Cloyne and Ross, and who, alongside so many other nationalities, enrich and contribute so much to the life of our Diocese and community.

I returned to Cork last night from the United Kingdom; from a retreat with our candidate priests at the Community of the Resurrection at Mirfield, West Yorkshire in a country, our nearest neighbour, which is in mourning following the death, on the eve of our departure, of Queen Elizabeth II.

Many in Cork recall with great joy the visit of Queen Elizabeth to our city in May 2011, not only for the warmth with which she was received and the obvious joy the visit gave her and the late Duke of Edinburgh, but also for the strength and inspiration of her presence together with her words of friendship and reconciliation throughout her visit to Ireland.