Following the Glasgow Derby on Sunday, some Celtic fans were seen making the Sign of the Cross. Ahead of Saturday’s St Patrick’s Day Parade in Glasgow, perhaps we need to have a national conversation about it, says a tongue-in-cheek Herald columnist Kevin McKenna

There's been another outbreak of flagrant Catholicism in Scotland and it behoves us all to be vigilant about its potential dangers.

The distressing scenes at Ibrox on Sunday after Celtic had beaten Rangers appalled all right- minded people around the world. And it soon became evident to shocked onlookers that an old and discredited practice - thought to have been expunged from civic Scotland - might have acted as an accelerant for the mayhem: public displays of the notorious Sign of the C***s.

Some Celtic supporters were seen goading Rangers followers with this sinister benediction. The young fans of the home team had merely run across the pitch in a spirit of goodwill to congratulate the wild-eyed Celtic fans on their team’s victory.

Modern Scotland prides itself on its cultural and religious diversity, but it draws the line at making extravagant displays of reverence without good reason. Look at China. We’re all fond of condemning the tech-savvy East Asian geniuses for their human rights abuses. But the smart Chinese permit a state-approved form of Catholicism no problem in their country.

I’d be encouraging the Scottish Government to send out a working group to China to see how it’s done. This all follows recent concerns by top humanists that overt displays of religion in Catholic schools are stunting the emotional and educational development of vulnerable young people. This can lead to depression, guilt complex, anxiety and anti-social behaviour of the type on display at Ibrox on Sunday.

Celtic manager and stars join........

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