Patsy McGlone 1st October 2009

MCGLONE: MCCREA MUST WITHDRAW SECTARIAN 'POPE ANTICHRIST' COMMENTS

SDLP Mid-Ulster MLA Patsy McGlone has demanded that DUP MLA Ian McCrea apologise for his deeply offensive comments that ‘the Pope is the Antichrist’ and that his visit to Ireland would be ‘detrimental to community relations.’

Responding to comments the DUP representative made in the Mid-Ulster Mail newspaper Mr McGlone said:

“Ian McCrea must withdraw these deeply hurtful, insensitive and sectarian comments immediately.

“It is totally hypocritical at a time when the DUP are talking about building a Shared Future that one of their Assembly Members comes out with this utterly sectarian and abusive rant.

“This type of attitude only serves to create divisions and incite disrespect within our society.

“Most people, both Catholic and Protestant alike, would find the suggestion that the Pope is the ‘Antichrist’ utterly extremist and entirely out of place in the 21st century.

”The one sad lesson that this society has given us is that bigotry has brought us nothing but sorrow, death and deep division.”
 

ENDS