Thursday, September 16, 2010

Quote of the day

Huh?
"There wouldn’t be a Scotland if it had not been for the Catholic Church" – Alex Salmond, First Minister, 15.35pm"

5 comments:

kensei said...

Not weatched "A history of Scotland" then?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00fr2gm

O'Neill said...

"There wouldn't have been a Scptland created if it hadn't been for the Catholic Church"...

A few more players have been involved since then though to ensure the country is still in existance today!

kensei said...

Which doesn't actually invalidate the original statement. There would probably have been no Union without the Reformation meaning Scotland and England were both Protestant. It might not have happened without the Darien Expedition either. Both statements can e true at the same time.

He was you know, just being polite to a guest while simulataneously currying favour with voters he'd really like. This is not particularly controversial.

O'Neill said...

"He was you know, just being polite to a guest while simulataneously currying favour with voters he'd really like."

Or caught up in the excitement of the occasion he went OTT. He is as likely to have lost as gained voted with his interpretation.

The Aberdonian said...

I think the FM is alluding to mainly the role of Catholic prelates in Scotland resisting attempts by the English authorities (both temporal and devine)in resisting attempts to put the Scottish wing of the Catholic church under the control of Archbish of York or the Prince-Bish of Durham. By successfully resisting them, the Archbishes of St Andrews and Glasgow had a direct hotline to the Vatican rather than go through York. This success lead to the Scottish church being named the Papacy's special daughter.

Also the Archbishes of St Andrews and Glasgow during the wars of independence had prominent roles in the resistance. Both did time in the Tower of London for doing so.

It was a Catholic official who drew up the Declaration of Arbroath and lobbied the Vatican to recognise Scottish independence after the Wars of Independence.

And of course it was the Scottish church that instigated the foundation of Scotland's ancient universities. Particularly Bishop William Elphinstone who was founder of Aberdeen University - the first university in these isles/English speaking world to have a faculty of medicine - as demanded by James IV in return for his support. (James' hobby was medicine and dentistry).

On the Library wall at the Chapel of Siena, Pius II (pre-promoted to the Papacy) is portrayed in a (fancifully depicted) conference with James I at the Scottish court if you ever find yourself out there.

(According to Wikipedia Pius fathered a child in Scotland - that means that many a Scots/Ulster Scots Orangeman could be descended from the "Anti-Christ"
:))))))))))))