The Orange Order has apologised to Catholics in east Belfast after a photograph of a man urinating at the gates of their local church during Saturday’s Ulster Covenant commemoration march was published in a local newspaper.
Grand chaplain Rev Mervyn Gibson travelled to St Matthew’s Church at Short Strand to apologise in person to the parish priest. He said he would be following up with a letter that could be read to parishioners.
Orange grand secretary Drew Nelson had called the act “outrageous behaviour” that was “utterly unacceptable” and pledged that the Order would be “taking action” against the individual. St Matthew’s Church had been singled out for restrictions by the Parades Commission prior to the march.
