THE head of the Grand Orange Lodge of Scotland has expressed his pride over the "dignified manner" of an event held to challenge the pope's visit yesterday.
Grand Master Ian Wilson said around 50 members had gathered in a bid to raise awareness of the Scottish reformation.
"I think protest is too strong a word, what were doing was much closer to bearing witness to our beliefs," Mr Wilson told the NewsLetter yesterday.
"We were upset by the timing of the pope's visit, given that this is the 450th anniversary of the Scottish reformation. Hopefully we have reminded people that Scotland separated itself from Rome all those years ago."
Mr Wilson said he could not accept that the pope's visit would act as a "unifying force" for Christians.
"It's not too long ago that this pope said he did not believe that Protestant churches were even proper Christians � so I think this pope only underlines our differences," he said.
Mr Wilson backed Lord Bannside's right to lead another protest in Edinburgh yesterday.
"I do not see any reason or problem with Dr Paisley and other clerics staging their protests here today.
"The pope is, after all, visiting the United Kingdom and as far as I am concerned Northern Ireland and Scotland are both part of the Union.
"Dr Paisley and his protestors are just as entitled to voice their opinions here today as the hundreds of Catholics who travelled over here from Northern Ireland to see and support the pope."
A spokesman for the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland told the News Letter yesterday that the Order had made their opposition to the papal visit known earlier in the year, but had not planned any "official protest".
