Latest news with #anti-Catholic
The National
5 days ago
- General
- The National
Is Larkhall all that 'staunch'? Local historians say maybe not
With its caged-in green traffic lights and the world's only black Subway sandwich shop, Larkhall has long-held a reputation for being deeply anti-Catholic and pro-Unionist — local historians, however, want to set the record straight. Members of Larkhall Heritage Group spoke to The National about the town's history, its community spirit, and why they believe Larkhall's sectarian reputation may be unfair. READ MORE:£150m renewable energy site proposed for former coal terminal The history of Larkhall Helen Moir, head chairperson of the group and local historian, gave a brief overview of the town's history: 'Larkhall as we know it now really didn't come into being until the 18th century, around 1740, but when they were digging up the foundations to build the Asda they found evidence of habitation that went back 8000 years. 'What really made this town grow was the fact that Larkhall sits in the main Glasgow to Carlisle coach road.' Moir explained that Larkhall was initially a domestic weaving town, where families would work with looms in one room of a cottage and live in the other, but the discovery of a coal seam — like many towns in South Lanarkshire — was what really put it on the map, leading to an influx of new residents and the creation of both a cooperative and the Larkhall Victualling Society. Larkhall's victualling society, pictured above, was set up to provide essential goods and services at affordable prices for community members (Image: Larkhall Heritage Group) It was described by Moir as a place that has always been forward thinking, being an early adopter of a cooperative movement and having tram and train links by the early 20th century, but acknowledged the sectarian reputation it holds. 'It's always been a forward thinking wee village, and I know we get a reputation for sectarianism but that's not totally true — this group has studied Larkhall inside and out. 'There was a huge mix of Catholic and Protestant Irish people who came to the west of Scotland and settled in Larkhall, and local records show absolutely no evidence of sectarian violence.' Whilst still a predominantly 'Rangers' area, and being home to a historic Orange Lodge, Moir said that interest in Orange Walks had died down in recent years and stressed there is a thriving Catholic congregation in the area — as well as setting the record straight on the infamous red-white-and-blue railings. 'They were painted that colour for Queen Elizabeth's father's coronation and they just remained that colour — it wasn't a deliberate act," she explained, referencing how the fence was green prior to the coronation. She added: 'I think this all needs to be kind of put to bed now.' Shifting the focus Instead of Larkhall being known for its sectarian roots, Moir wants people to focus on the wealth of history the area has, the revival of train services following the Beeching cuts, its tight-knit and pro-active community, and the fact it still has a thriving high street amongst other things. READ MORE:Drivers to face permanent 20mph limits across Highlands 'We should talk about the fact there's been habitation here for thousands of years, talk about how Larkhall had advanced with trains, trams and all of its shops; it has always been a village that's moved on', she said. 'The aim of this group is to archive as much local history as possible and to present it and save it for generations to come, rather than talk about Rangers and Celtic and Orange Parades and all of that stuff. 'Since the trains were brought back, the town has expanded like many others. It brought investments, new houses and with that more folk. Anything that brings more diversity, more community spirit — that can only be a good thing, no matter the faith background.'
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
The Satanic Grotto said charges not being pursued
Video aired on March 28. TOPEKA (KSNT) – The Satanic Grotto said that charges aren't being pursued after some of its members and its leader were arrested while attempting to hold a 'Black Mass' ceremony in the Kansas Statehouse. According to the social media post from The Satanic Grotto, its members were facing potential charges of disorderly conduct and unlawful gathering. The Satanic Grotto said all of its members who were arrested were released from their bonds. The state does have the ability to refile those charges for the next five years, however, our lawyers seem confident this isn't likely. More likely this is meant to be held over our heads and discourage us for more actions at the state capitol building. That said stay tuned for our next protest at the State Capitol building coming soon this one's going to be awesome. The Satanic Grotto wrote on Facebook Family cleaning up after car smashes into Topeka home On March 28, officers tackled Michael Stewart, president of the Satanic Grotto, to the floor inside the statehouse rotunda as he attempted to hold a Black Mass ceremony. He entered the building to hold the event after being warned by Kansas Governor Laura Kelly to move the ceremony to the outer grounds. An officer told Stewart as he entered the Kansas Statehouse that he was welcome to enter the building but could not hold an event or cause a disruption or he would be arrested. The other individual who was involved in the physical altercation with Stewart, a 21-year-old man, was also arrested in addition to a handful of other Satanic Grotto members. Prosecutors haven't filed charges against him at this time. Stewart had just started the Black Mass ceremony inside the Kansas Statehouse in the rotunda area when a counter-protester entered into a physical altercation with him. Officers could be seen taking Stewart to the floor as he shouted that he was not resisting. He was then led away from the area shouting, 'Hail Satan. I dedicate this building to Satan.' Wamego highway closure will result in nearly 30-mile detour for drivers Dozens of Catholics and Christians gathered at the Kansas Statehouse to protest the planned Black Mass. Both Kansas lawmakers and the Catholic Archdiocese of Kansas City condemned the Black Mass in the days leading up allegedly due to the anti-Catholic nature of the ceremony. My office has not made any charging decisions regarding these events. Once the investigation is completed, the findings will be submitted to my office for review. At that time, we will evaluate the evidence and determine whether criminal charges are appropriate. District Attorney Mike Kagay For more Capitol Bureau news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Herald Scotland
27-05-2025
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Tory candidate defends Orange Order and Apprentice Boys links
Asked whether these affiliations were compatible with elected office, Mr Nelson said: 'We are law-abiding organisations. We pledge allegiance to His Majesty the King. And, you know, we are not divisive at all, and people have their right to their own religion.' READ MORE Explainer: Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election Swinney: Reform UK Facebook ad against Sarwar was racist Labour by-election candidate responds to 'invisible man' Reform jibe Pressed on whether he could represent everyone in the community, Mr Nelson responded: 'I always do. I always have. Last week, I met with the parish priest in Larkhall — not just the parish priest, but also another priest. "We sat for an hour and spoke about the local community and the things that have been happening in the community. Everybody that comes to my surgery or contacts me — I do not ask what religion they are.' He added: 'People always try and target organisations with a bad brush, but we are not. The things that we do for the local charities, the local communities… that is the part that is missing with all of this.' Mr Nelson, a councillor for Larkhall on South Lanarkshire Council, lists his affiliations in the local authority's register of interests. He has been a member of the Netherton Covenanters Loyal Orange Lodge 233 since 2019 and is currently listed as secretary of the Scottish Amalgamated Committee of the Apprentice Boys of Derry. He is also a member of the Sir William Johnston Memorial Royal Black Preceptory 634. Between 2012 and 2023, he was a member of the Carluke No Surrender Apprentice Boys of Derry. The Orange Order states it is committed to 'the protection of the principles of the Protestant Reformation', but critics point to frequent parades through Catholic communities and allege that the organisation promotes anti-Catholic sentiment. Mr Nelson has also faced scrutiny over his sideline as a comedy hypnotist. Footage from a show in Penicuik, seen by the Daily Record, shows him directing a stream of profanities at participants while they were under hypnosis. In one clip, he can be heard shouting at volunteers: 'What are yous daeing, you d**k? I'm in the middle of a show here. A****holes. You and all.'
Miami Herald
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Law requiring clergy to report child abuse anti-Catholic, DOJ claims
SALT LAKE CITY, May 22 (UPI) -- A new Washington state law that requires members of the clergy to report child abuse or neglect, including when the information is revealed in confession, is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division. The DOJ claims the law is anti-Catholic and appears on its face to violate the First Amendment. The investigation, which was announced earlier this month, will look at the development and passage of Senate Bill 5375. The bill, which adds clergy members to the list of mandatory reporters, was passed by the Senate in a 28-20 vote and 64-31 by the House. It was signed into law May 2 by Gov. Bob Ferguson and is to go into effect July 27. A DOJ news release says the law has no exception for the absolute seal of confidentiality that applies to Catholic priests. "SB 5375 demands that Catholic Priests violate their deeply held faith in order to obey the law, a violation of the Constitution and a breach of the free exercise of religion cannot stand under our Constitutional system of government," Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon said in the release. "Worse, the law appears to single out clergy as not entitled to assert applicable privileges, as compared to other reporting professionals," Dhillon said. The bill's sponsor, Sen. Noel Frame, D-Seattle, disputes those claims and said the law is not anti-Catholic. She pointed out that members of the clergy are defined as a licensed, accredited or ordained minister, priest, rabbi, imam, elder or similarly situated religious or spiritual leader of any church, religious denomination, religious body, spiritual community or sect. Mandated reporters include law enforcement officers, professional school personnel, social service counselors, nurses, psychologists and licensed childcare providers, among others. If they have reasonable cause to believe a child has suffered abuse or neglect, they are required to report that to law enforcement or the Department of Children, Youth, and Families. Under the new law, clergy members must report abuse, but cannot be compelled to testify against the penitent in a court case or criminal proceedings. "We are talking in our case here about really simply just the reporting in real time of known or suspected abuse and neglect of children in real time," Frame said. "We're simply saying, if you believe or you know that a child is actively being abused or neglected, call it in so we can go check on that child to make sure that they are safe." Archbishop Paul Etienne of the Archdiocese of Seattle descibted the the law as government overreach. After the apostles were thrown into jail for preaching in the name of Jesus Christ, St. Peter responded, "We must obey God rather than men," he said in a written statement. "This is our stance now in the face of this new law," Etienne said. "Catholic clergy may not violate the seal of confession -- or they will be excommunicated from the Church. All Catholics must know and be assured that their confessions remain sacred, secure, confidential and protected by the law of the church." The Catholic Church in the United States has been reporting incidents of abuse to law enforcement and cooperating with civil authorities for decades, according to Etienne. Those efforts began in 1986 in the Seattle Archdiocese, he said. "Our policies already require priests to be mandatory reporters, but not if this information is obtained during confession," Etienne said. Frame countered that voluntarily complying with part of the law does not make priests mandatory reporters. "They may be if they are a teacher, for instance, but they are not mandatory reporters in their role as clergy," she said. "And to say that we're already mandated reporters has caused great confusion such that people think the only point of this bill was to 'go after confession.' Not true." The senator has been trying since 2022 to pass legislation to make clergy mandatory reporters. Articles by Investigative West about how a Jehovah's Witnesses community in Washington allegedly was covering up sexual abuse of children spurred her effort. The nonprofit news organization reported the community was handling complaints internally and abuse was not being addressed. Frame, a survivor of childhood sexual abuse by a family member from ages 5 to 10, said children need to know that if they ask a trusted adult such as a faith leader for help, they'll get it. "I told the mandated reporter about the abuse and that's how it was stopped, and that was my teacher," she said. The Freedom From Religion Foundation, which advocated for passage of SB 5375 through its FFRF Action Fund lobbying arm, said the law closes a longstanding and dangerous loophole that allowed clergy to withhold information about child abuse. "FFRF urges the DOJ to immediately drop this politically motivated and legally unsound investigation," the organization said in a news release. "Protecting children from harm must be a priority that transcends religious boundaries. It is not anti-Christian to hold clergy accountable -- it is pro-child, pro-justice and pro-human rights." Other states that do not have an exemption for penitential communication as of May 2023 are New Hampshire, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas and West Virginia, according to the Child Welfare Information Gateway. The Utah Legislature passed a bill last year that does not make clergy mandated reporters, but protects them from civil and criminal liability if they report ongoing abuse or neglect even if the information came from a penitent during confession. Utah Rep. Anthony Loubet, R-Kearns, said he sponsored House Bill 432 after constituents reached out to him. Some religious organizations had implemented their own reporting requirements, but the protection from liability applied only to mandated reporters, which did not include clergy, he said. Members of the clergy like having this option, Loubet said. "This made it clear that they could report if they wanted to and if they did, they received the protection," he said. Copyright 2025 UPI News Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Law requiring clergy to report child abuse anti-Catholic, DOJ claims
SALT LAKE CITY, May 22 (UPI) -- A new Washington state law that requires members of the clergy to report child abuse or neglect, including when the information is revealed in confession, is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division. The DOJ claims the law is anti-Catholic and appears on its face to violate the First Amendment. The investigation, which was announced earlier this month, will look at the development and passage of Senate Bill 5375. The bill, which adds clergy members to the list of mandatory reporters, was passed by the Senate in a 28-20 vote and 64-31 by the House. It was signed into law May 2 by Gov. Bob Ferguson and is to go into effect July 27. A DOJ news release says the law has no exception for the absolute seal of confidentiality that applies to Catholic priests. "SB 5375 demands that Catholic Priests violate their deeply held faith in order to obey the law, a violation of the Constitution and a breach of the free exercise of religion cannot stand under our Constitutional system of government," Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon said in the release. "Worse, the law appears to single out clergy as not entitled to assert applicable privileges, as compared to other reporting professionals," Dhillon said. The bill's sponsor, Sen. Noel Frame, D-Seattle, disputes those claims and said the law is not anti-Catholic. She pointed out that members of the clergy are defined as a licensed, accredited or ordained minister, priest, rabbi, imam, elder or similarly situated religious or spiritual leader of any church, religious denomination, religious body, spiritual community or sect. Mandated reporters include law enforcement officers, professional school personnel, social service counselors, nurses, psychologists and licensed childcare providers, among others. If they have reasonable cause to believe a child has suffered abuse or neglect, they are required to report that to law enforcement or the Department of Children, Youth, and Families. Under the new law, clergy members must report abuse, but cannot be compelled to testify against the penitent in a court case or criminal proceedings. "We are talking in our case here about really simply just the reporting in real time of known or suspected abuse and neglect of children in real time," Frame said. "We're simply saying, if you believe or you know that a child is actively being abused or neglected, call it in so we can go check on that child to make sure that they are safe." Archbishop Paul Etienne of the Archdiocese of Seattle descibted the the law as government overreach. After the apostles were thrown into jail for preaching in the name of Jesus Christ, St. Peter responded, "We must obey God rather than men," he said in a written statement. "This is our stance now in the face of this new law," Etienne said. "Catholic clergy may not violate the seal of confession -- or they will be excommunicated from the Church. All Catholics must know and be assured that their confessions remain sacred, secure, confidential and protected by the law of the church." The Catholic Church in the United States has been reporting incidents of abuse to law enforcement and cooperating with civil authorities for decades, according to Etienne. Those efforts began in 1986 in the Seattle Archdiocese, he said. "Our policies already require priests to be mandatory reporters, but not if this information is obtained during confession," Etienne said. Frame countered that voluntarily complying with part of the law does not make priests mandatory reporters. "They may be if they are a teacher, for instance, but they are not mandatory reporters in their role as clergy," she said. "And to say that we're already mandated reporters has caused great confusion such that people think the only point of this bill was to 'go after confession.' Not true." The senator has been trying since 2022 to pass legislation to make clergy mandatory reporters. Articles by Investigative West about how a Jehovah's Witnesses community in Washington allegedly was covering up sexual abuse of children spurred her effort. The nonprofit news organization reported the community was handling complaints internally and abuse was not being addressed. Frame, a survivor of childhood sexual abuse by a family member from ages 5 to 10, said children need to know that if they ask a trusted adult such as a faith leader for help, they'll get it. "I told the mandated reporter about the abuse and that's how it was stopped, and that was my teacher," she said. The Freedom From Religion Foundation, which advocated for passage of SB 5375 through its FFRF Action Fund lobbying arm, said the law closes a longstanding and dangerous loophole that allowed clergy to withhold information about child abuse. "FFRF urges the DOJ to immediately drop this politically motivated and legally unsound investigation," the organization said in a news release. "Protecting children from harm must be a priority that transcends religious boundaries. It is not anti-Christian to hold clergy accountable -- it is pro-child, pro-justice and pro-human rights." Other states that do not have an exemption for penitential communication as of May 2023 are New Hampshire, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas and West Virginia, according to the Child Welfare Information Gateway. The Utah Legislature passed a bill last year that does not make clergy mandated reporters, but protects them from civil and criminal liability if they report ongoing abuse or neglect even if the information came from a penitent during confession. Utah Rep. Anthony Loubet, R-Kearns, said he sponsored House Bill 432 after constituents reached out to him. Some religious organizations had implemented their own reporting requirements, but the protection from liability applied only to mandated reporters, which did not include clergy, he said. Members of the clergy like having this option, Loubet said. "This made it clear that they could report if they wanted to and if they did, they received the protection," he said.
