Scottish Catholic Observer

The largest ever survey of Scottish Catholics’ attitudes to sectarianism has found that many still believe it to be a serious problem for Scotland.

The Conforti Institute’s Anti-Sectarianism Project report finds that many Catholics believe that sectarian bigotry still affects their lives. The listening project details meetings in parishes and other groups with hundreds of Catholics in seven of Scotland’s eight dioceses.

Bishop Joseph Toal of Argyll and the Isles, Apostolic administrator for Motherwell Diocese, thanked lead programme officer and report writer Dr Geraldine Hill and contributing writer Helen Martin at the report’s release at the Conforti Institute

in Coatbridge last Saturday. The bishop said its findings provided ‘a great deal to reflect on.’

Among the key findings of the report were that many Catholics, especially those in Glasgow and Motherwell, believed Orange Walks to be ‘an expression of hatred against the Catholic community and variously described feeling fear and a sense of unease, being intimidated, threatened and offended when they think about them.’

Although a number of respondents also felt Orange marches had declined in popularity in recent years, some participants felt the number of walks allowed was ‘excessive’ and there was support for Orange Walks being confined to public parks.

Another key issue was that of Catholic schools, with many participants across different dioceses suggesting ‘Catholic schools are an easy target to blame for sectarian behaviour.’ “Early in our project we identified the risk that parts of the Catholic community may not want to talk about sectarianism because they fear that even raising the issue invites the response that sectarianism in Scotland will be solved in Scotland with the closure of Catholic schools,” the report states. “Even raising the issue is therefore perceived by some as a threat.”

Another key issue for many was that Catholics cannot accede to the throne, because of the Act of Settlement.

“One person’s comment captures the feeling of a good deal of the input,” the report states. “‘The real issues is that Catholics are treated constitutionally as second class citizens. The Scottish Government is fudging the issue, it is really about institutionalised sectarianism.’”

Many of those consulted also said there remained a stain of anti-Catholic attitudes across society. One man said that he did not send his children to a Catholic school because ‘he didn’t want his children easily identifiable as Catholic.’

Football and the Scottish media were also seen as contributing to sectarianism, with the media’s role in ‘fuelling negative aspects of sectarian attitudes and behaviour, in particular referring to the publicity around football’ mentioned in all dioceses that took part in the project.

Amongst younger participants, social media was mentions as the place where both sectarianism and anti-religious sentiment was seen most.

The report will now be sent on to the Scottish Government, and the report’s conclusion recommends the adoption of ‘both bottom up and top down approaches to improving mutual understanding’ between communities.

Dr Hill, said that it was important to recognise that ‘the Catholic community does not speak with one voice on sectarianism; it means different things for different people and is experienced in different ways.’

Fr Thomas Boyle of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland, who was involved in overseeing the project, said he believed the report needed to be widely considered.

— For more on the Anti-Sectarianism Project’s report visit http://www.confortiinstitute.org/anti-sectarian-project

—[email protected]

—This story ran in full in the April 11 edition print of the SCO, available in parishes.

—Pic: Paul McSherry