Catholics under attack

A Church spokesman has challenged the next Scottish Government to beat the scourge of sectarianism after revelations that Cardinal Keith O’Brien received a bullet in the post and that a fourth letter bomb targeting Catholics had been intercepted.

Call to action

Peter Kearney, director of the Scottish Catholic Media Office, made the comments to the SCO after news that Cardinal O’Brien, Britain’s most senior Catholic clergyman, was sent a bullet in the post as a death threat against Pope Benedict XVI and three high profile Catholics linked to Celtic Football Club were targeted by bombs in the post last week.

Police revealed this week that Cairde na hÉireann, an Irish Republican supporters’ group based in Scotland, had also been the target of a parcel bomb, intercepted in Northern Ireland. Officers from Strathclyde Police believe it originally entered the postal system at about the same time as the devices already under investigation.

Mr Kearney said he hoped that these events would prompt the next Scottish Government to finally start taking anti-Catholic bigotry seriously.

“We can only hope that immediately after the election, whoever is elected will enter into a meaningful debate with the Catholic Church and Catholic community about how to deal with this problem because it’s clear that we’re dealing with anti-Catholic bigotry and Catholics’ views must be sought on how to resolve it,” he said. 

“We now need to move past the old ‘one side is as bad as the other,’ ‘one size fits all’ approach to sectarianism.”

Bullet threat

Cardinal O’Brien revealed last week that he had been sent a live bullet in the mail just before the Papal visit last year.

The malicious letter, which the cardinal opened himself, is believed to have been sent by a person associating themselves with the Ulster Volunteer Force. Headed ‘No Surrender,’ it read ‘If you bring the Pope here, this is what he will get.’

“This was a horrific incitement to violence and deeply regrettable, but in the end it did not detract from the welcome the Pope received from the vast majority of Scots of all and no affiliations,” the cardinal said.  

“It’s not made any difference to my way of life. I’m just going on as normal and getting on with my work.”

Police launched an investigation into the letter last year but were unable to trace its origin. 

The Catholic Church did not make the incident public at the time for fear it would cast a pall over the Papal visit. 

The news was released after Neil Lennon, the Celtic FC manager, and his lawyer, Paul McBride QC and former Labour MSP Trish Godman were all targeted by nail bombs sent through the Royal Mail.

“Last year we didn’t want to let anything affect the climate of anticipation and excitement in the build up to the Pope’s visit,” Mr Kearney said. 

“But this year we felt that expressions of extreme intolerance do need to be acknowledged and put on the record.”

Danger warning

Mr Kearney and the cardinal were among the high-profile Catholics warned to be careful when opening mail in the wake of the intercepted devices.

The first suspect package was intercepted by the Royal Mail in East Dunbartonshire, on March 26 and was addressed to Mr Lennon at Celtic’s training ground in nearby Lennoxtown. 

Two days later a device was delivered to Labour politician Ms Godman’s constituency office in Renfrewshire. 

The third package, from Ayrshire, was addressed to Mr McBride at the Faculty of Advocates in Edinburgh.

Celtic target

Mr Lennon, a 39-year-old Catholic from Lurgan, County Armagh, has endured threats, abuse and violence since joining Celtic FC in 2000.

In January this year bullets addressed to the Celtic FC manager were intercepted at a sorting office in Glasgow.

“It leaves a bitter taste in my mouth,” Mr Lennon said. “This has gone on another level in terms of this package… Obviously, my thoughts go out to Paul and Trish as well.”

Condemnation

“The person or people sending these packages are clearly determined to cause fear and alarm to the individuals or organisations concerned,” Chief Superintendent Ruaraidh Nicolson, of Strathclyde Police, said. “This is an utterly despicable crime.”

Political leaders also united to condemn the bombing campaign.

First Minister Alex Salmond called on all Scots to remain composed in the face of the threat.

“Everyone should remain calm in light of this new discovery and continue to give Strathclyde Police our full support,” he said.

“Let’s be quite clear—the individual or individuals responsible for these disgraceful actions will be apprehended and dealt with with the full force of the law.”

Scottish Labour leader Iain Gray called for a ‘renewed momentum’ on sectarianism and a cross-party campaign after next month’s Scottish Parliamentary elections.

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