The head of the Catholic church in Ireland is to hold face-to-face talks with loyalist leaders for the first time later this week. Cardinal Sean Brady will meet a delegation from the Ulster Political Research Group, which is connected to the paramilitary UDA.
A Catholic church spokesman said Cardinal Brady would urge them to "reject violence once and for all".
The meeting will take place at his private residence in Armagh.
Tackling social disadvantage will be high on the agenda, according to Father Tim Bartlett, who helped to set up the talks.
He said the cardinal would ask them to use "whatever influence you have to build on the immense progress of recent years".
"Can you give us any reassurance that you will use all your influence to remove the gun and the fear of loyalist retaliation once and for all?
"Liberate us all from that fear and work with everybody else to free our whole society from criminality, from drugs, from alcohol abuse, and improve our social conditions together," he said.
UPRG spokesman Frankie Gallagher said: "In terms of weaponry, we can give reassurance to the cardinal that it is being managed by the UDA.
"We need people to have a little patience but I think this year will be good for the whole society of Northern Ireland.
"I can go as far as to say the UPRG is working towards creating an environment where political violence is no longer a viable option and weapons are a thing of the past."
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(Source: BBC)