The leaders of the four main churches in the North appealed for calm and urged people to pray for peace after a private meeting yesterday with the Northern Secretary, Dr Mo Mowlam, at Hillsborough Castle.
They reaffirmed their support for the current political talks process and said dialogue was the only way forward.
The four church leaders also condemned recent murders and said they had conveyed to Dr Mowlam "concerns being expressed in the community".
The president of the Methodist Church, Dr Norman Taggart, said it was important that lines of communication be kept open with Sinn Fein.
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The Catholic primate, Archbishop Sean Brady, said Catholics should take account of progress that had been made in the talks process.