MRS Justice McGuinness, High Court judge and chairwoman of the Forum for Peace and Reconciliation, has warned members of the Church of Ireland in the Republic of the dangers of alienating Orange Order members in the North who are not "rabble arousing bigots".
Her comments were made during a debate yesterday on the Drumcree stand off and its implications for the Church of Ireland at the Dublin and Glendalough diocesan synods at Taney Parish Centre.
Mrs McGuinness said she knew law abiding and Christian Orangemen who over the years had suffered from violence, but had not taken part in any disturbances.
"Unfortunately, there are other Orangemen who are inspired by bigotry and hate rather than by Christian ideals and, in my experience, these kind of Orangemen do not attend church at all, except for the tribal ceremony of the annual Orange service.
"Unfortunately, some of these people can be found among the political leadership in Northern Ireland and their philosophy lies behind what happened at Drumcree and similar events.
"Many generally decent and law abiding people found themselves drawn into this. In marking our disapproval of Drumcree and even more of concerted efforts to prevent others going to church in the ordinary way, I feel we should be careful not to reject and alienate the body of Church of Ireland people in the North who belong to the Orange Order and who are not rabble rousing bigots."
The previous day, a statement issued by the Ulster Unionist Party said the Archbishop of Dublin, Dr Walton Empey, should resist the temptation to place all blame for the violent scenes last summer on "members of the loyal orders". Party secretary Mr Jim Wilson said recent comments by Dr Empey had led to "great unease".
The Bishop of Derry and Raphoe, Dr James Mchaffey, said the Drumcree violence had pushed the community "dangerously close to anarchy" and he appealed for "accommodation of diversity".