The North's Catholic bishops have come out in favour of the latest proposals for the new police service in Northern Ireland.
In a significant shift of position, the bishops said young Catholics should feel free to join the new force, and they encouraged participation in the policing boards proposed by the Northern Ireland Secretary.
While sharing reservations about certain aspects of Dr Reid's "Updated Implementation Plan" they said they believed sufficient grounds existed to give real hope for a new beginning in policing.
"Young Catholics must feel totally free to choose whether or not to participate in the new Policing Service," the bishops said.
"The time is now right for all those who sincerely want a police service that is fair, impartial and representative to grasp the opportunity that is presented and to exercise their influence to achieve such a service.
"Participation in the Policing Board and District Police Partnership Boards, while not occurring in ideal circumstances, is a significant means of continuing to influence policing and its future," they said.
The statement will give a boost to the Dublin and London governments in their efforts to encourage acceptance of the plan, and marks an important move away from the bishops' position last January, when the Catholic primate and Archbishop of Armagh, Dr Sean Brady, said he felt unable to pledge full support for the proposed new service.
The statement came last night as SDLP sources suggested the party would be unable to meet tomorrow's deadline set by Dr Reid for the nomination of candidates to the proposed Policing Board for the new service. The party leadership met to discuss the "Update Implementation Plan" at the weekend.
Without nationalist nominations - Sinn FeIn rejected Dr Reid's proposals on policing before they were published - the board will be unable to conduct business. It has to have crosscommunity support which would require the presence on the board of at least one nationalist party.
Some SDLP sources said there were still fears that the British government's proposals did not impose sufficient control on the RUC Special Branch, due to be halved over five years to about 400 officers under the plan.
Sinn Fein's Mr Mitchel McLaughlin singled out the proposals on the Special Branch for criticism, saying it would remain intact as "a force within a force". Sinn Fein also objected to the Secretary of State retaining powers to interfere with or block inquiries by the Policing Board.
The Ulster Unionists are divided on the proposals and are not expected to respond by the deadline, which sets back hopes that the new police board would be appointed by the end of September.
At the weekend the anti-agreement UUP MP, Mr Jeffrey Donaldson, said: "I don't believe any of these proposals should be pursued in the current climate with rising crime and the terrorist threat."
Dr Reid has said he will start to appoint the board after midday on Tuesday if he gets crosscommunity support.
The DUP also appears set to reject the plan. But party sources indicated that if other parties joined the police board, it would, too.