Latest news with #FreePresbyterianism

The Herald Scotland

'Orange Order's enemies are Holyrood politicians - not Catholics'

I've been a witness to these parades for most of my adult life. As a Catholic growing up in the west of Scotland, they held a cautious fascination for me: part fear, part excitement. Right now though, I'm experiencing something else; something I'd never previously have thought it possible to feel about this gathering: empathy, affection and … bloody hell: is there a bat-squeak of emotion here too? Watching an Orange parade swing past you is always something to behold; being present as this one rises on Holland Street, just below the square is something else entirely. It's not quite stumbling upon the source of the Nile, but for someone like me, it still feels rather – how can I put this – hallowed. Read more I've chosen to wear a blue suit for the occasion and I'm standing just a little back from the throng as it begins to swell. A wee phalanx of ladies, all smart and pleased in their orange dresses and white jackets passes by. One of them, seeing me spark up a cigarette, asks for a light. 'You've got a good day for it,' I venture. 'Thank God,' she says, 'I can't afford to have another hat ruined by the rain.' Another thought: I've been on many political marches and protests, but this is probably the most authentically working-class gathering I've ever seen. If you know, you know. The clothing, the snatched conversations about the Rangers and their present perils; the hand movements, the way a cigarette is held; the shapes, the sizes, the absolute imperviousness to what anyone else might think of them. There's no belligerence here though; no hostility or threat. They're drawn mainly from the most economically-deprived neighbourhoods: Springburn, Possilpark, Townhead, Birdgeton, Dalmarnock, Calton, Toryglen, Gorbals. On social media posts in the days following this parade, a slew of unvarnished misogyny will accompany pictures of it, much of it from those who like to channel progressiveness and inclusion. The word 'hatefest' will feature from people actively engaging in 'hate' towards these women. It will come from a middle-class, political elite who actively pursue a cultural agenda of 'no-debate' which cancels dissidents; hounds them out of their jobs; publicly humiliates them and encourages their colleagues and family to disown them. It's from the Stasi playbook. They'll tell the Orangemen that they don't belong in modern, progressive, enlightened Scotland and to get back to the 19th century. This is ironic, because the attitudes and methods of the culture warriors are firmly rooted in the witch trials of the 16th century. The Ladies Orange Association of Scotland walk through the streets of Glasgow city centre last month (Image: Robert Perry) Last year, these same people had sought to destroy the political career of Kate Forbes, the most able Scottish politician of her generation, on account of her Free Presbyterianism. It was clear that in their Scotland, being an authentic Christian means you're less equal than them. Down from Blythswood Square, the bands are mustering and some flutes are tooting and tuning amidst clacking drumsticks. There's a wee blast of 'The Bangers' a term with which my old friend Graeme from the Scotsman used to call 'the Sash'. Bangers and mash: sash. There's a blast of The Dambusters. I'm here though, for the Lambeg drum and some shilpit wee bloke almost buckling under its weight battering it as though his life depended on it. 'Bam! Bam! Bam! … Bam! Bam! Bam! It is old but it is beautiful and its colours they are fine.' It's part of the soundtrack of my youth. But the big drum is nowhere to be seen or heard and I'm slightly disappointed. The grand chaplain in her purple dress is wearing a small tiara (Tiara Peepul). Standing beside her is Mr Walters, the Executive Officer and Andrew Murray, the Most Worthy Grand Master, both of whom I'd met a few days earlier. They're both looking proud as punch in dark suits and sashes and white gloves. Andrew spots me and runs over to say hello just before the parade starts. 'Should he be breaking the ranks,' I'm thinking. And then I'm looking about slightly nervously to see if anyone else had heard him shout 'Kevin'. And now we're off as the flutes and drums play Abide with Me. Then it's 'Sing Hosanna to the King of Kings as I fight the impious instinct to substitute Henrik Larssen for 'Sing Hosanna'. In secular Scotland where you get mocked by trade union leaders for your faith I'm beholding a group who walk behind the bible and belt out 'Sing Hosanna to the King of Kings'. The Orange Orders have serious (and entirely valid) issues with the abstruse and esoteric rituals of my Roman Catholic worship, but today – and not for the first time – I feel more comfortable with them than with the counterfeit neophiles who run Scotland. The Orange Order are for 'king and country' (Image: Robert Perry) At the Orange Order's headquarters down by the Clyde at Calton Place I'm sitting with Mr Walters and some of his confreres . Later, I'm posing for a picture with them underneath a rather fetching portrait of King Billy atop his white charger. There is some soil displacement in St Peter's Cemetery, Dalbeth. There's a growing resentment within the Orange Order that they've become an easy target for those who strive to proclaim their progressive values in Scotland. They're dismayed that a cohort of senior politicians in the SNP, the Scottish Greens and Labour are, they say, misrepresenting and undermining them. There is another irony here. Some of their fiercest critics who accuse them of anti-Catholicism are also happy to deny Catholics the full expression of their faith. Mr Walters makes the Orange Order's position clear. 'We're not hostile to any Roman Catholic. Certainly, we are in disagreement with some Catholic practices which we feel are at odds with the biblical teaching s of the reformed faith. What we celebrate in the Glorious Revolution is religious freedom for all which nonetheless allows us to disagree as they are free to do so with ours. Isn't this what diversity is supposed to mean?" Edward McGonnell is Senior Depute Grandmaster and is eager to amplify these sentiments. I take to him immediately. He talks quickly in that familiar monotone of all true sons of the Clyde. He paints pictures with couthy anecdotes featuring a sprawling cast of friends and family summoned from his youth. There are elaborate hand gestures. He supports Rangers and I support Celtic and so an old Glasgow diplomacy is at play whereby we will offer each other over-elaborate compliments or condolences about the form of our respective teams to signify that we both come in peace. When I meet Grandmaster Andrew Murray, he takes care to be gracious and urbane about Rangers' last-minute victory over Celtic the previous day. 'We are not the enemies of the Catholic Church,' says Edward. 'The enemies of Catholicism are to be found in an aggressively atheistic influence at Holyrood. They are hostile to authentic Protestantism too and I think the Orange Order and the Catholic Church and the Kirk should be acting in common cause to defend ourselves. 'Of course we've got sincere theological differences, with the Catholic Church, right? But that's the beauty of life in general. There's a lot that unites us. To me, our common threat is secularism.' He expresses sympathy for 'that wee woman who got lifted by the polis for saying her prayers outside a hospital'. Read more That all said, there's a reasonable opinion – not always rooted in being anti-Orange – that there are too many Orange Parades during the marching season. Why are these processions so important? It's an outward expression of our faith and culture,' says Mr McGonnell. 'Some people suggest that we should just 'march around a park' but they would never suggest the same for Palestinian demos, or pro-independence rallies, or anti-Brexit protests. 'People like to be seen to be associated with something that's important to them and their families: something that truly represents their values. In recent years, we've reduced the number of parades and apply stricter criteria on lodges seeking an application to march. We invest a lot of time and training in marshals to ensure the parades are peaceful and enjoyable for all." He won't say it, so I will: I want my Protestants to be properly Protestant and no messing about. It's the same with how I view Scottish nationalism and the Scottish Greens and the Labour party, none of whom, in their current incarnations, remotely resemble who they claim to be. 'There's been a campaign among certain politicians and media outlets to have us branded as toxic. They never wish to engage with us. They never wish to talk with us. They just want to brand us as toxic. We had a situation recently where one of our members, a clergyman, was attacked in Lanarkshire and racially and religiously abused. Neither John Mason, Humza Yousaf nor James Dornan raised a cheep about this as a hate crime. No one at Holyrood even believes that there's even such a thing as anti-Protestantism. We believe that any hate crime should be condemned. We've condemned it when it comes from any of our members.' He cites a 2023 Scottish government report which revealed that 47% of hate crimes were committed against the Catholic community while 16% was anti-Protestant and 16% Islamophobic. 'Recently, we had a meeting with the police, who told us that hate crime within the Christian communities in Scotland was now running at 50-50 between Catholics and Protestants. This isn't because there's been an increase in anti-Protestantism: it's because we've now instructed out members to report it, which we'd never done before.' Yet, still the sense persists that the Orange Order deliberately chooses routes that take the parades past Catholic churches. Mr McGonnell rejects this. 'In recent years, we've strived to forge a relationship with the Catholic parishes on our parade routes. 'It's difficult for us to deviate down side streets. We take the main arterial routes in and out of the city as agreed by the council and Police Scotland. Neither they nor we want a situation where someone is sitting at home and a parade is going past their window. William Craig, substitute county Grand Master, Kirsty McAinsh, Most Worthy Grand Mistress of Scotland, Edward McGonnell, senior depute Grand Master of the Orange Order of Scotland, and David Walters, executive officer of the Grand Orange Order of Scotland (Image: Gordon Terris) 'On the day of our Boyne celebrations in Glasgow, we'll go by about 13 Catholic places of worship. In the last five years we've been contacting the local priests for a chat. We want them to know in good time that if there's a wedding or funeral happening at the chapel, then we'll be happy to move our parade to an earlier or later time to avoid any conflict. We feel we have built good relationships with many local Catholic clergy.' Edward McGonnell talks about the Christian and political values that attracted him to the Orange Order. 'It gives us a sense of belonging. If you join the Orange Order you need to be a bible-reading Christian. You need to believe in God. We've had people seeking to join us who don't believe in God. So we have to tell them that means it's not for you. 'This is a Christian organisation which is patriotic to King and country. And that's proving attractive to young people. Our youth numbers have been up these last couple of years.' There's also a sense of betrayal in the Orange Order at its treatment by some in the Church of Scotland, which they think is rooted in ignorance about its values and an out-dated reputation around anti-Catholicism. In some areas, they believe they've had fairer treatment and a fairer hearing from Catholic clergymen. In Lanarkshire, members of the Slamannan Bible and Crown Defenders Loyal Orange Lodge No: 227 have met in the local parish church since 1963. Their fund-raising, amounting to tens of thousands of pounds, have helped maintain the church in good repair. Recently though, they've been evicted because, according to the Kirk Session, 'to continue the let was not felt to be congruent with how the Kirk Session of Upper Braes parish church wish to live out their purpose and values within the community'. The Church claimed that kicking out a group which has been faithful to the Kirk's values and poured cash into its upkeep was 'lawful in terms of the Equality Act 2010.' No reason was given save for a concern that the presence of the Orangemen would undermine collaboration with other Christian denominations. The ladies band in action (Image: Gordon Terris)Kirsty McAinsh, Most Worthy Grand Mistress of the Ladies Association in Scotland, points to the family values that underpin the Lodge's existence and, she says, its growing appeal among young people. 'There's a feeling that the Kirk has neglected its role in the formation of our young people, which was once evident in organisations like the Girl Guides and the Boys Brigade. In many places across Scotland the Orange Order is filling that gap. Our members are practising Christians, but they're choosing to leave churches where they're being made to feel unwelcome.' Perhaps, though, it's in the Orange Order's recent dialogue with the Irish Government and the Irish Consul in Scotland, where their efforts to break down barriers are part of a larger framework of peace and reconciliation. Mr Murray said: 'We're keen to establish a relationship with Irish groups in Scotland to increase mutual understanding and appreciation of the full spectrum of the Irish experience in Scotland.' Implicit in this perhaps, is a recognition that the sad modern history of Northern Ireland has been at the root of the religious divide and that the time has come for a healing to occur. A spokesperson for the Irish Consulate in Scotland said: 'The Irish Government has regular engagements with the Orange Order at both official and political levels. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar made the first visit by a serving Taoiseach to the Orange Order in Belfast in 2018, meeting the leadership and paying his respects at a memorial to Orangemen killed during The Troubles. 'The then Tanaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Michael Martin, visited the Museum of Orange Heritage in East Belfast in 2023, meeting with Grand Secretary Mervyn Gibson. Grand Secretary Gibson participated in a Shared Island Dialogue on Accommodating national identities in October, 2023, held at the Abbey Theatre, Dublin, along with 300 civil society and cultural representatives from North and South. There was something else I'd felt up at Blythswood Square on that sunny, Sunday morning last month. It felt like a healing. I was at peace with these Orange ladies and their Orangemen and I think, at last, that they were at peace with me.