The Catholic Primate, Archbishop Seán Brady, has warned against further prolonged stalemate in the North.
"A vacuum is not good, not helpful, not healthy. Certainly, a growing cynicism about politics and politicians is not desirable. For that reason alone, it would be desirable that a final, definite solution be achieved," he said.
Interviewed on the BBC Radio 4 Sunday programme yesterday, he said the DUP demand for photographic evidence of IRA decommissioning was "a request for more certainty and clarity" about the issue. On the other hand, he believed any attempt made to humiliate people was not helpful to progress for peace.
The blame game following the failure to reach agreement in the North last week was not leading anywhere, he said, and encouraged people to go on "to take the final step".
Asked whether he believed the IRA was committed to getting rid of its weapons, he replied: "I think so. I hope so. I believe they have given a commitment to do that." If it happened that "would be magnificent progress".
Further, he added, it was not a question of people getting into government together, but of delivering good government. That was what people wanted for the public good. What people wanted to create in the North was "a fair, just, secure society where people respected each other, respected their dreams, their aspirations, but also worked together for the public good".
People had "won a lot of peace over the last 10 years. The eventual outcome remains in the future. I do not know what that is going to be. Meanwhile, in this society of equals, we can make a lot of progress together where people respect each other, have greater trust in each other and so deliver policies that are good for everybody."