Scottish Soccer Player "Cautioned" for Making Sign of the Cross

The Catholic Church has criticised Scottish prosecutors for cautioning a Celtic goalkeeper who crossed himself during a match against Rangers.

Artur Boruc was cautioned for a breach of the peace over the incident at an Old Firm match at Ibrox in February.

The Catholic Church called it "worrying and alarming" as the sign of the cross was a "gesture of religious reverence".

However, the Crown Office said the decision was based on the player's behaviour, rather than a single act.

In addition to crossing himself, the player was alleged to have made gestures to the crowd at the start of the second half of the game on 12 February.

Strathclyde Police investigated complaints that Boruc, 26, had angered a section of the crowd with his behaviour and they submitted a report to the procurator fiscal.

However, as an alternative to prosecution, Boruc was cautioned. That does not leave him with a criminal record, although the information about the caution will be retained.

The Crown Office said his actions "provoked alarm and crowd trouble and as such constituted a breach of the peace".

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However, Peter Kearney, spokesman for the Catholic Church, said the move to caution Boruc was "regrettable".

He said other actions could not be defended, but that a gesture of religious significance should not be considered offensive.

"It's a worrying and alarming development, especially since the sign of the cross is globally accepted as a gesture of religious reverence," he said.

"It's also very common in international football and was commonplace throughout the World Cup.

"It is extremely regrettable that Scotland seems to have made itself one of the few countries in the world where this simply religious gesture is considered an offence."

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