"Economists are the new prophets" - Eames

Economists have become the Irish prophets of the new millennium, according to Church of Ireland Archbishop Dr Robin Eames.

The Celtic Tiger economy of the Irish Republic had created the "outward signs of prosperity" while problems such as homelessness and poverty remained, he said.

The Archbishop, opening the Church of Ireland general synod meeting in Dublin, said the church had to remind Irish society of the value of the individual.

Dr Eames, Archbishop of Armagh and the Primate of all-Ireland, said: "Here in the Republic we have seen the economic miracle of the Celtic Tiger.

"We have seen a nation display all the outward signs of prosperity as it grasped the European ideal, the removal of high levels of unemployment, the creation of internationally-based industries and the rapid expansion of new commerce.

"But we also see homelessness, poverty and the gap between those who have benefited from the Celtic Tiger and those who have not. Wealth and poverty can be relative."

He said there were pressures on modern family life which cannot be ignored, such as the high cost of housing which in many cases required two earners to afford a mortgage.

He told the synod meeting of about 400 at UCD: "In both parts of Ireland we are conditioned to view much of life in economic terms - the economist has become the Irish prophet of the new millennium.

"I want to suggest that the Christian word of prophesy has to remind Irish society of that most precious of God's gifts - the value of the individual.

"Considering the individual's economic contribution to society alone is not just ignoring a substantial part of that person's development but is a failure to recognise the holistic nature of individual growth. That can lead to an unbalanced and even sick society."

He also prayed for those affected by the recent foot-and-mouth crisis, which had "wrought havoc for the farming community throughout the length and breadth of Ireland".