Fr Gary Donegan The leader of the DUP must put her words into action in relation to religious sectarianism, or she is simply making “empty gestures”, a Belfast-based priest has said.
Fr Gary Donegan C.P., nationally renowned for his ongoing commitment to conflict resolution and peace building in the North of Ireland, said that Arlene Foster needs to actively challenge sectarianism prevalent in Ireland and Scotland, rather than just denounce it.
His comments come after the DUP leader spoke to Orange Order members in the Scottish town of Cowdenbeath last Saturday where she said: “This country needs to be a shared place where people are able to live free from intolerance and hatred”.
Fr Donegan noted that at this same event, a speaker referred to Catholics in a “derogatory” manner, and that Mrs Foster should have distanced herself from these remarks. “It’s very important to back it up because if she came out with a very warm and outreach kind of language but was then sitting with an organisation who then come out with sectarian anti-Catholic comments, well then it’s my belief she should distance herself from that or challenge the individual”, he said.