Bonfires of bigotry against Catholics have no place in supposed civilised society

Over the next month symbols and effigies of our closest neighbour Ireland and the UK’S diverse Catholic community will be ritually burned atop of bonfires.

Some of these “celebrations” will have received public funding. The Democratic Unionist Party of Northern Ireland, now a party of the UK Government, will be close- ly aligned to these events, with their elected MPS participating in the marches which form part of the July “celebrations”.

In Scotland, swathes of our largest city, Glasgow – where Catholics make up 27 per cent of the population – will be effectively shut down to facilitate the Scottish leg of this month of “celebration” before participants travel to another part of the UK.

In Scotland this happens against the backdrop of anticatholic hate crime having risen by 28 per cent in 201617. This correlates with a rise in prejudice post-eu referendum across the UK, with hatred of the ‘other’ again receiving callous nurturing. This increase reinforces Scotland’s record of anti-catholic hate crime having represented over 55 per cent of religiously aggravated hate crime charges every year since devolution. That’s 18 consecutive years.

Conspicuous by its absence will be any UK or Scottish Government ministerial statements looking to assuage the fears, specifically, of the UK’S Catholic community and others who are concerned by such “celebrations”. Platitudes about taking a zero policy approach to sectarianism and prejudice simply do not fit the reality.

The evidence is there for everyone to consider – for many Catholics and others the continual normalisation and state acceptance, at a UK and devolved level, and complicit silence in these endeavours speaks volumes. The UK in 2017 continues to accept and encourage a bitterly hostile anti-catholic bigotry which extends way beyond welcomed and necessary theological or social debate.

It is embarrassing to watch unfold.