A cathedral is not a place of retreat from the world, but a place of prayer and of prophecy, a beacon to shine God's light into the world. It is designed as a rich a powerful symbol of the gospel of God's grace. Cathedrals do not exist independently of the Church but only as a part of its general mission and ministry. There must be interdependence with the diocese and advice accepted and carefully considered. There is a further need for ecumenical consultation, encouraging a wider use than simply by the Church of Ireland , and again encouraging constructive help and suggestion.
People come to our cathedrals for many and varied reasons.
Whatever the reason, we must welcome them and we must ensure that they leave here with the firm understanding that this is a Christian church living Christ day by day, a place where the visitor is welcomed but where worship has priority. Visitors come with their own priorities. We need their financial gifts to ensure our own future. But we must ensure that neither clutter nor moneymaking will rob them of the sense of the vision of God, which is what they ought to be carrying away with them. If we in Christ Church fail in presenting this then we have also failed our visitors.