Anti-gay marriage bishop meets with first minister

Scottish Government plans for anti-bigotry legislation and same-sex marriage have come across criticism from important figures in the Catholic Church.

The Bishop of Paisley, Phillip Tartaglia, has expressed concerns over the introduction of anti-bigotry legislation and the Government consultation that could see the introduction of same sex marriage in Scotland.

In a letter to First Minister Alex Salmond, Bishop Tartaglia warned of a “serious chill” in the relations between SNP ministers and the Catholic Church if the Bill were to be passed without amendments being made. He also stated there were “serious misgivings” about the discussion over the issue of gay marriage, declaring that they would “dismantle the definition of marriage in Scotland.”

The 'Offensive Behaviour at Football Bill' aims to tackle football-related violence, and may see those convicted of sectarian acts face a prison term of up to five years.

Having described the Bill as a “distraction from the real nature of sectarianism in Scotland”, Mr Tartaglia met with First Minister Alex Salmond on Friday to discuss the planned legislation.

The Catholic Church has now backed the Bill after Mr Salmond agreed to strengthen freedom of speech rights. He also conceded to releasing the data on sectarian incidents.

The First Minister later spoke of the meeting, declaring “the cordial and friendly discussions allowed me to hear the Church's concerns directly and explain to them the aims behind our efforts to stamp out sectarianism.”

The legislation has been narrowly backed by the Parliament’s cross-party justice committee, with five votes against four.

The Bill has now moved to the final stage of parliamentary scrutiny at Holyrood. The First Minister hopes to secure backing from all parties but Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrat MSPs are refusing to lend support.