Anti-Catholic Thuggery in Scotland

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Protestants in Scotland cursed and spat at Catholics and threatened to beat a priest.

In Glasgow on July 7, a group of young men approached Saint Alphonsus Church, yelling expletives at Catholics leaving Mass. The thugs spat on a priest — Canon Tom White — mocking him and calling him a pedophile.

One man tried to strike Canon White with a baton but bystanders prevented him, protecting the priest until police arrived.

The perpetrators came from an Orange Order parade happening nearby. The Orange Order is a Protestant fraternal group in Northern Ireland and Scotland.

After the incident, the archdiocese of Glasgow said in a statement, "Why is the Orange Order still allowed to schedule its intimidating parades on streets containing Catholic churches at times when people are trying to get in and out for Mass?"

The Protestant group condemned the violence, calling it "vile and disgusting."

The Orange Order is named after William of Orange, a 17th-century Dutch nobleman — and Protestant — who became the King of England, Scotland and Ireland.

William invaded England, forcing Catholic King James II to flee. James fled to France, and a later attempt to regain his country failed.

To this day, the Orange Order has celebrations in July every year to celebrate William's Protestant victory over James' Catholic forces.

Anti-Catholic prejudice runs rampant in Scotland. Though Catholics account for only 16 percent of Scotland's population, they're victim to 57 percent of religiously aggravated crimes.

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