Protestant church leaders criticise loyalist bands
Sinn Fein calls on loyal orders to reroute Donegall St parades
(about 20 hours later)
The leaders of two Protestant churches in Northern Ireland have criticised as "sectarian" the actions of loyalist bands outside a Catholic church.
Sinn Fein has called on the loyal orders to reroute parades past a Catholic church for the remainder of the marching season.
Trouble erupted in Belfast on Saturday after the bands passed the church in defiance of the Parades Commission.
Trouble erupted in Belfast on Saturday after the bands passed St Patrick's Church, Donegall Street, in defiance of the Parades Commission.
Presbyterian Moderator Reverend Roy Patton said their actions were "totally unacceptable".
The Orange Order has applied to march along the street in September for the Centenary of the Ulster Covenant.
Church of Ireland primate Archbishop Alan Harper said it was "blatantly sectarian".
Paul Maskey said the organisers needed to take the heat out of the situation.
Contentious
Mr Maskey, the Sinn Fein MP for West Belfast said: "Saturday shows they cannot be trusted to parade either lawfully or respectfully.
Both men were speaking on BBC Radio Ulster's Talkback programme.
"The Loyal Orders need to realise this, they need to take the heat out of this situation and they need to re-route themselves away from Donegall Street and St Patrick's Church for the remainder of the marching season."
Bishop Noel Treanor, Catholic Bishop of Down and Connor, speaking on BBC Newsline 6.30, said there needs to be a code of conduct to control how bandsmen behave outside places of worship.
Asked about a republican commemoration close to a Church of Ireland church in Dungiven in July, he said it should apply to everyone.
TUV leader Jim Alister has asked the Parades Commission what it intends to do about the Dungiven parade.
The Parades Commission said: "We have requested further information from the PSNI and will examine the issues identified in the complaint."
In Belfast, bands had defied a Parades Commission ruling not to play music while passing St Patrick's Catholic Church on Donegall Street during a Royal Black Institution march on 25 August.
A number of protesters were separated from the march by a large police presence.
A number of protesters were separated from the march by a large police presence.
The Shankill Road-based Young Conway Volunteers band also defied a ruling which barred them from marching past the church.
The Shankill Road-based Young Conway Volunteers band also defied a ruling which barred them from marching past the church.
It had been filmed walking in circles outside the same church while playing a contentious song on 12 July.
It had been filmed walking in circles outside the same church while playing a contentious song on 12 July.
Inconsistent
Meanwhile, Peter Osborne, the chairman of the Parades Commission, said that responsibility for parading should be a devolved matter, with local politicians determining how parades are managed.
Mr Patton said the Presbyterian Church had a "very clear stance in terms of bigotry and hatred".
Speaking about the trouble in Belfast at the weekend, he said: "There were clear sensitivities involved with this parade. We issued a moderate determination."
"I think we would be very clear as a church that such behaviour is totally unacceptable and is not in keeping with the values that the Loyal Orders espouse," he said.
But Mr Osborne said that of about 4,000 parades held annually in Northern Ireland, the commission was involved in ruling on just 200.
"As a church we deem such behaviour to be unacceptable.
"At very few of them would there be breaches," he pointed out.
"There is no defence in terms of the people on the street, and we recognise that the Parades Commission is the legally established body and what they say should be accepted at that level.
"The decision the commission makes are fair and balanced."
"We recognise that people have particular issues perhaps with the Parades Commission but this is not the way to deal with them and such behaviour is inconsistent with any profession of Christian faith."
Mr Harper said: "Whether or not the actions were in defiance of the Parades Commission, the outcome was blatantly sectarian.
"That is wholly unacceptable to me and to the Church of Ireland.
"We've spent a long time examining sectarianism within our own church and we are very clear that sort of thing is not acceptable and is no way to build a harmonious society.
"How can you expect your own cultural and religious beliefs to be respected if you don't respect those of others?"
Mr Patton said actions spoke louder than words.
Positive
"I think they need to demonstrate that those Christian credentials are an accurate reflection of what they are as an organisation, and demonstrate that on the ground," he said.
The remarks by the church leaders were criticised by TUV leader Jim Allister.
"The silence of Protestant church leaders when it came to the release of those guilty of sectarian murders from prison and the subsequent elevation of terrorists to government was deafening," he said.
"Yet now they choose to come out and attack the Loyal Orders for doing something which they have done for generations without any problems arising."
SDLP North Belfast MLA Alban Maginness has welcomed the remarks.
"The words of leadership demonstrated by Protestant church leaders are very welcome and their understanding and concerns about the activities of loyal orders passing St Patrick's Church is very much appreciated.
"We are all working toward a peaceful resolution to contentious parades and this initiative from mainstream church leaders is a very positive step in the right direction."
An Orange Order spokesperson said: "The Institution is aware of the comments made by the senior clergymen."
