The Bishop of Derry and Raphoe, Dr James Mehaffey, has said the demand for decommissioning comes from ordinary people in the North and cannot be dismissed as a unionist ploy to hold up the peace process.
Addressing his diocesan synod in Derry yesterday, he said citizens from both communities were concerned about the retention of paramilitary weapons. "For paramilitaries to say they are committed to a democratic and peaceful way forward and at the same to retain their arsenal of weapons seems to be a blatant contradiction.
"Such concerns cannot be explained away as some unionist ploy to delay the setting up of the executive. These are ordinary people who have seen what violence can do and dread to think that such an evil thing should continue to be a real threat."
Dr Mehaffey said the churches must examine if they could have done more to counter bigotry and sectarianism. "Perhaps the first step for the churches is to acknowledge they are part of the problem in a divided society and that religion and politics are sometimes too closely interwoven."
Meanwhile, the Church of Ireland Gazette has claimed that the British Prime Minister has lost the confidence of the unionist community. It said the Northern Secretary, Mr Peter Mandelson, should ask Mr Blair to "keep out of Ulster for the time being".
"Mr Blair, like Dr Mowlam, has lost the confidence of the unionists. He is seen to be a fudger and, more seriously still, as someone who will promise the earth to get tomorrow but when pay day comes, may not come up with the goods."