The Archbishop was speaking at the launch of the annual review of Crosscare, the Catholic social care agency of the Dublin archdiocese, which took place in Blanchardstown, Dublin.

"The type of Dublin we create in the future will depend very much on the level of community responsibility we manage to engender," the Archbishop said.

"Some months ago I asked for a greater community mobilisation against this violence. The response from many was to say that the level of violence is lower than that in other European countries. Thank God that this is the case, but can we really sit back and think that this is sufficient?" he asked.

"The reactions of fear that many show in the face of the current gangland violence is a frightening cry of victory to those who wish to impose their will by force. Fear is what they want to create. Violence shows disregard for human life and unless addressed disregard only spreads . . . Enough lives have been ruined; let all who can do something about it work together," he said.

He desribed the work of Crosscare, and its ethos, as "a real antidote to the culture of violence". He thanked the Capuchin Fathers for placing the new premises in Blanchardstown at the disposal of Crosscare and pointed out that since becoming archbishop he had stressed that all the caring services in the diocese should not be focused on Dublin city centre alone.

"We should all remember just how precarious the economic situation of so many people is today. We should remember the fragility that is present in many lives, especially many young people," he said. (Source: Irish Times)