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Posted on 08/25/2006 7:57:16 PM PDT by Rodney King
he Catholic church has blasted a decision by the Procurator Fiscal to issue Celtic goalkeeper Artur Boruc with a caution for blessing himself.
Polish star Boruc was rapped for making the sign of the cross at Ibrox in an Old Firm match last season.
The caution was issued after a six-month police investigation into the incident, which is said to have angered a section of the Rangers support.
Boruc is reported to have been completely baffled by the decision to issue him with the warning But the move has angered the church and prominent Scottish Catholics including outspoken composer James McMillan and Celtic author Dr Joe Bradley.
Last night Peter Kearney spokesman for the Catholic Church in Scotland, slammed the move. He said: "It is quite worrying that firstly some spectators saw fit to complain, but even more so that police felt that the act merited investigation.
"Incitement to religious hatred normally involves demeaning the signs and symbols of a person's faith "So, it would be interesting to know how a gesture of reverence falls into any of these categories.
"This decision could lead us down a very intolerant road.
"What if a family in a restaurant say grace and make the sign of the cross, would they be deemed as having inflamed the sensibilities of non-Catholics?" Renowned composer and Celtic fan James MacMillan, who's spoken out in the past about sectarianism, said the fuss over Boruc's act was a 'disgrace'.
He added: "It is completely ridiculous but then cases like these always are.
"It's a disgrace that in this day and age, such a fuss is being made over an incident like this. "It is a mark of shame that people cannot express their faith in a certain manner."
Dr Joe Bradley, editor of two books about Celtic and lecturer at Stirling University, said Boruc should be free to bless himself anywhere he likes.
He said: "This seems to tie in with the police report on Boruc who had apparently upset a section of the Rangers support.
"Only when people like Artur Boruc can bless themselves wherever and whenever they want will Scotland's sectarian problem be on its way to being solved." A Crown Office spokesman said that following careful consideration it was decided to use an alternative to prosecution in Boruc's case.
Options open to the fiscal included a straight warning or a warning plus payment of a monetary penalty known as a fiscal's fine.
Celtic have refused to comment ever since the caution was issued to their Polish keeper last week.
But last night Eddie Toner former General Secretary of the Celtic Supporters' Association said the club had "hung Boruc out to dry". He said: "It is sad that Celtic as a club appear to have made no objection to or comment on the caution.
"They seem to have hung Artur Boruc out to dry. "Celtic have a responsibility to protect the community from which they derive support, especially when that community come under attack.
"Perhaps those who made the complaint to the police should have a look at themselves, as it seems that it is they who have the sectarian problem.
"This gesture is one which is made by sportsmen and women all over the world, but bizarrely it only seems to cause offence here in Scotland." Boruc is not the first footballer in Scotland to have caused controversy by making the sign of the cross.
In 1999 Rangers fans complained after Celtic's former Croatian striker Mark Viduka blessed himself during an Old firm game.
Rod McDonald of Partick Thistle received a caution for blessing himself in a match against Rangers in 1996.
The yellow-card led to him being sent off for two bookable offences.
Sometimes it appears that Scottish soccer is alot more about hating Catholics than it is about soccer.
It is not about being intolerant, anti-christian etc... it's about 2 rival soccer teams, one Protestant, one Catholic.
The incident in question had nothing to do with religeon, the player was winding up the opposing supporters and he was undoubtedly aware of the reaction it would provoke. It's the equivalent of giving the other team the finger.. and it happens regularly with both teams.
Most soccer matches in the UK are far from being family friendly. In Glasgow (Rangers/Celtic) and perhaps to a lesser extent in Edinburgh (Hearts/Hibs), you have 2 main teams divided on sectarian lines, combined with heavy drinking, support for Irish terrorist organisations, sectarian chants and you would have a lot of crowd trouble on your hands. The authorities are trying to stamp this out, hence the reaction by the police.
The fact that a complaint was made is not one sided, Celtic supporters complain equally about similar gestures, see JJ's picture above for example.
It's a 2 way street, they hate each other equally.
And i have to disagree with Da_shrimp about the anti-catholic bias, I'm a Glaswegian and i see both Protestants and Catholic groups put out the same arguements time and time again and both sides are full of it.
Think Shiite and Sunnis... nothing to do with religeon, everything to do with having the upper hand.
oh please, "islamicized", "anti-christian"....it'd be nice if people just didnt bother to comment on stories when they clearly know ABSOLUTELY NOTHING WHATSOEVER about what said stories are referring to. the guy crossed himself in front of the rangers fans at an old firm match. at a time when reducing sectarian tensions is a very hot topic in the west of scotland. anyone who has lived in the west of scotland for more than five minutes could clearly see this was anything but a pious, innocent religious reverence. the references to islam are especially absurd considering the majority of scottish muslims would almost certainly take the side of the player anyway.
but hey, who am i to stand in the way of the denizens of this site's mission to twist every news article ever into evidence of the vast muslim conspiracy. heartwarming story about firefighters rescuing a cat stuck up a tree in backwoodstown, iowa? "imagine if this was in a muslim country, they'd be too busy blowing stuff up and beating women and drinking the blood of virgins and riding around on broomsticks to bother saving the cat...quite disgusting"
Actually, rather than having a go at the Freepers, the vast majority of whom, luckily, know very little about Scottish soccer nor life in the West of Scotland, you'd be better served to have a go at the journo who wrote the article.
The article itself is a one sided and inflammatory, (no explaination of why the gesture was regarded as offensive at an Old Firm match, no comment by anyone who isn't Catholic nor a Celtic supporter, no reference to complaints brough by Celtic supporters about Rangers players/fans doing similar).
The article was most likely designed to press the right buttons on those who don't know anything about sectarianism in the west of Scotland, which it did.
Bizarre anti-Catholicism PING
As long as I can go to church on Sunday. Pray at home then I am fine. This story is probably half being told. It is funny that we only pick certain stories to believe. Plus it is in Scotland. A different country than ours. They were not founded on christian beliefs. We were. It is time to only worry about our own country. Let Europe do what it wants. I think they are doing fine on there own.
A few years ago it was not uncommon to see signs that said things like "Bobby Sands MP" in Celtic's stadium. The anti-Catholic sentiments are just as strong on Rangers' side. You're absolutely right: this has nothing to do with secular anti-Christian attitudes. It's actually all about sectarian bigotry.
Satch, you went and pushed my button.
Is that what you want in a republic near you, by which I take it you mean America? Would you go to jail for making a sign of the cross, Satch?
Would you do anything to prevent that sort of abuse of power from coming soon to a republic near you? In other words, are you doing your part, Satch?
Are you exercising your responsibility as a citizen of that republic to shape its laws so that they are just and conform to the standards of its Constitution, or are you just posting cynical wisecracks about it?
PC crap, when is it ever going to end.
The first. I remember reading a long time ago that Claudio Reyna of the U.S. appeared at his first Rangers practise wearing a green jersey, and they had him change. (Green being associated with Irish Catholics).
Soccer threads are unique on FR in the sense that nearly everyone who appears on them claims to be an expert on the sport and its circumstances while simultaneously claiming they cannot, will not, and do not watch it.
Now that little trick deserved way more of a punishment than it got.
Midnight, on the Caledonian Bridge. A fellow is clinging to the girders. "Ah'm gaun ta jump!" he announces.
A crowd gathers, and a good Samaritan steps forward. "Dinna jump, man! Think o' yir family!"
"Ah hae nae family."
"Then think o' yir friends."
"Ah hae nae friends."
"Aweel, then - for the sake o' good old Ranger!"
"Ah dinna support Ranger."
The Samaritan hesitates, but a life is at stake, so he says,
"Weel, then, for the sake o' good old Celtic!"
"Ah dinna support Celtic."
"Awa' then, jump, ye bluidy atheist!"
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