Football bigotry - no surprise there then!

The fact that adult males (and females, these days) enjoy wearing ridiculous coloured hats and scarves and standing around for hours in the cold watching a strange game where opposing teams seek to trip each other up and then hug and kiss one another when a goal is scored, never ceases to amaze me.

The rattle of a simple man!

And when I read that an ex referee (what a claim to fame) has published (allegedly) bigoted and obscene statements about Catholics in general and the Holy Father in particular, I find myself muttering to myself: "Just what did they expect?"

The old saying that 'Rugby is a game for hooligans played by gentlemen and football is a game for gentlemen played by hooligans' never rang more true.
The day that the press features news of a composition of the mass for four voices or a painting of the face of Christ, all done by a well known Centre Forward (do they call them that any longer?) - that's when I'll sit up and take notice.

But obscene invective, drivel from the rabble is a no news item as far as I'm concerned.

Say a prayer for the man and hope that he grows in intelligence and faith to understand just a fraction of what this world is all about.

That's what I'll do.

And if you wish to read a report of this outburst, please click bigotry.

CATHOLIC CHURCH'S TOP PR MAN RETIRES!

Yes, it is finally time for this great man to file his pen and put away his various means of communication. At the ripe old age of 84 he deserves a well earned rest, he has, after all, given most of his working life to promoting the Catholic Church through the media.
A famous orator he also held post as MP representing the folk of Northern Ireland, he has led the Democratic Unionist Party and last year he was made a peer becoming Baron Bannside.

Photo: BBC
Farewell Dr Ian Paisley - 'the bitter orange'

Ian Richard Kirk (honestly, you couldn't make it up) Paisley has, for as long as I can remember, slagged off the Catholic Faith, the Holy Father and all things emanating from Rome. And, in so doing he has created a wave of sympathy for Catholicism and, in particular, for the Catholics of  Northern Ireland. During a session of the European Parliament he famously interrupted proceedings shouting that "Pope John Paul II is the Antichrist" - he also referred frequently to the church and the Holy Father as "the Whore of Babylon".

Paisley has  presented such a bigoted and sectarian viewpoint that he has pushed people's opinions into the opposite (Catholic) camp. For all of that, I find him a rather interesting figure. He actually commenced his theological studies in South Wales at what is now the Evangelical Theological College ( a very grim place - I know, I've been inside it and was greatly relieved to get out alive).
His Doctorate credentials came from a US Baptist College (obviously a hard anti Catholic one down South) and he very quickly established his own church and brand of Prebyterianism once back in Belfast.

On the occasion of Pope JP II's visit to Great Britain the HF met with the Presbyterian Church's top honcho in Scotland and gave him his blessing.
This enraged Paisley who immediately set up a group of supporters along the Papal route all holding banners stating: "All those blessed by this man will burn in hell". Legend has it that, as the Popemobile drew level with this group, the Holy Father extended his hand to them and gave them his blessing!

But Ian Paisley really has a dark background. I recall watching the infamous televised Oxford Union debate back in the 60s when Paisley produced a consecrated host from his pocket and ground it underfoot. All Catholics watching must have taken a deep intake of breath at that point, one can only pray that the host was not, in fact, consecrated.

He appeared to mellow somewhat with age but I suspect that someone with his level of bigotry would always carry it under the surface.

He leaves behind him, a son, also an Ian and also a politician.