Monsignor Denis Faul has called on Catholics to apply in large numbers to join the new Northern Ireland Police Service. He warned that unless there was a substantial recruitment of Catholics, the objective of creating a police service representative of all communities would not be attained.
"They have got to join in large numbers, otherwise their religion, their nationalist politics and their Irish culture may be mocked, as has happened in the past, when they went in one by one," he said.
Mgr Faul said he wanted to see Catholics making up 40 per cent of the force within five years. The Tyrone priest renewed his call for the withdrawal of thousands of national security certificates issued against Catholics during the past 30 years. He claimed that large numbers of innocent people have had certificates issued against them, barring them from membership of the police force.