The North's First Minister, Mr David Trimble, has travelled to Rome to attend a two-day meeting of Nobel peace prize laureates, during which he is expected to meet Pope John Paul II.
The event is being organised by the former Russian leader Mr Mikhail Gorbachev and the mayor of Rome.
Regarding his meeting with the Pope tomorrow, Mr Trimble said: "Insofar as the opportunity arises, I will brief him on political progress here and our continuing efforts to implement all aspects of the Belfast Agreement and to persuade those seeking to enter the democratic process to show clearly that terrorism is being left behind for good." Mr Trimble went on to say he considered "both the timing and the location appropriate in the light of the crisis facing Europe today. We are seeing what can be regarded as the sixth Balkan war this century . . . "
Mr David Jones, a spokesman for the Orange Order in Portadown, said: "It is ironic to think Mr Trimble can go and meet the Pope but he can't come near his own constituency without an armed guard. People here no longer feel he represents them or loyalism. I think people would be only too glad if he went over and stayed with the Pope."
Mr Robert Saulters, the grand master of the Orange Order, said: "There is a ruling against the religious part of it, but we have no rule against meeting the Pope. It would be a terrible world if we couldn't meet who we want to."
Mr John Hume, joint-winner of last year's Nobel peace prize with Mr Trimble, will not be attending.