Bishop Responds to Statement on Celtic Player’s Cross Sign

|TOP|The Bishop of Motherwell, the Rt Rev Joseph Devine, has welcomed a statement issued by the Crown Office to clarify a caution against Celtic goalkeeper Artur Boruc of Celtic, originally thought to be the result of crossing himself during an Old Firm match.

The Crown Office issued the statement earlier in the week after a furious row broke out over the caution for breach of the peace issued to the goalkeeper during a match against Rangers at Ibrox.

The Crown Office resolutely denied that the caution was issued because of Boruc’s blessing sign, rather stressing that it was the result of the player’s incensing the crowds.

Bishop Devine of the National Communications Commission of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland said: “I welcome the Crown Office clarification on this matter, particularly the explanation that the Fiscal in considering the behaviour of the player ‘did not in any way refer to the act of blessing himself’.

|AD|“Equally, the Crown Office statement that they fully respects religious belief and practices and ‘would not countenance formal action against individuals for acts of religious observance’ is both welcome and reassuring,” said Bishop Devine.

He added: “Any other conduct which is offensive, causes offence or incites disorder should rightly be the subject of action by individual clubs, the football authorities or if necessary the prosecuting authorities.”

The Catholic Church was not the only party to be severely alarmed by the possibility that the cross sign was on its way to becoming an offence in Scotland, but the row also pulled in Communities Secretary Ruth Kelly, as well as leader of the SNP party Alex Salmond.

The Crown Office defended its decision to caution Boruc, 26, saying that the decision was based on his general behaviour, which included allegations of gesticulating at and incensing the crowd, rather than for any single act.