Do you consider Celtic a Catholic club?

Think the supporters especially in Scotland and Ireland are mostly Catholics probably atleast 80 percent so hard to say no for me being founded by an Irish martist brother but still a club for anybody I agree .

 

There is a catholic identity but not like that the club can be described as a catholic club.

Celtic is a club founded by the Irish for all creeds and nationalities.

 

We're no more a Catholic club than we are a Jewish club.

 

The fact Catholicism is seen as 'problematic' or something 'inappropriate' is probably an indication of how deeply anti-Catholic sentiment still pervades much of Scottish society. Otherwise why would it be an issue to have a Catholic heritage, or would why it be something that we should be encouraged to 'shake off'?

Celtic was founded by a Catholic priest to help feed the poor Irish Catholic immigrants. That's a huge part of the Celtic story and cannot be 'wished' away, nor is it something to be ashamed of.

I don't think there is anything wrong per say with being associated with a particular type of people, particularly when that people represent a marginalized minority. The problem arises when the 'identity' of that people is used to exclude, demomise or promote intolerance of others.

Having an Irish Catholic history and being open to all are not mutually exclusive concepts.

Having said that, as an Irish person, I tend to feel an affinity with Celtic more because of its Irishness as opposed to its Catholic foundations. In that sense, I feel the ties to the club are more political and cultural than religious. In fact, I feel Celtic is somewhat an extension of my own identity, which it just as complex: being from the north of Ireland and being a product of what's called a 'mixed marriage', my ma is a Prod from a middle-class background in East Belfast whereas my da is a Catholic from a republican working-class family in Derry.

I'm therefore not 'Catholic' in the traditional sense - though I was baptized as such and have done all the 'Catholic things' like made communion, gone to confession, made confirmation, gone to mass etc - so I don't really see myself as 'Catholic'. I see my primary identity as being Irish, republican, of the left and in sympathy with revolutionary causes and marginalized peoples. It's these features which bind me to Celtic at an emotional level - which is very intense - and elevate my support and devotion to it way beyond a superficial attachment to a sports team, it's just so much more deeper and important than that.

 

I went for 'No' but it could just as easily be 'Somewhat, however there are other stronger connotations, such as culturally and politically.'

I don't think anyone defines us as a club that is only open to Catholics, for me that's never once even been close to being true, but we are a club that has Catholic roots in the sense we were formed by a Catholic, and much of our charitable origins were probably aimed towards Catholics (by way of circumstance rather than design). Basically it's part of our history, and how much stock you put in that is really up to the individual.

I would be interested to know how those saying "Yes 100%" come to that conclusion. I would be very surprised if that majority of our support actually subscribed to much religious practice or teachings at all.

 

That's a brilliant post, lad.

 

Such a difficult question to answer. At the most basic level yes we are. We are synonymous with it in world football. We're alot more than that ofcourse but it's definitely part of us.

 

Don't think anyone here has said being Catholic is problematic. No-one has claimed to be ashamed of our history or heritage either.

The simple fact is, we're a secular modern club that has always been open to people of all backgrounds. There's nothing about us as a club, that is particularly Catholic.

A larger proportion of our support may have been historically Catholic but that doesn't make us a Catholic club.

 

Is it true that members of the clergy used to get into Parkhead for free?

 

Apparently, they did. Along with the board allowing mass to be held inside the stadium, which makes sense given the historical religious ties of our support.

Although they've had non Catholic religious ceremonies inside the ground too.

 

So because you couldn't give a * about a fan's religion gives you the right to call people who may (rightly or wrongly) think that Celtic is a Catholic club, huns?

To be fair, you sounded a bit like a hun in that post yourself....

 

Incredibly unique.

 

Your quite right in saying we are not a "religious" club, but (not specifically you) saying Catholicism has nothing to do with this club, well.....some folk really ought to read up on their history - specifically the fact that without the Catholic church and it's members in Glasgow, there would be no Celtic.

It was set up by Catholic priest in a Catholic church with the aim of feeding the Irish diaspora who were going hungry in Glasgow (having fled a famine in Ireland, which was essentially Irish Catholic genocide), although again that isn't to say it was set up to feed ONLY the Catholic families in Glasgow...

 

Anybody who thinks the Catholic faith hasn't had any impact on the club is a fool.

 

Pretty much!

There seems to be (imo) a bit of a strange feeling on here even at the mere question of the club being linked with Catholicism.

Almost sounds like a dirty word on here to some...

 

Well said.

Our people are a huge part of our history and they happened to be Catholic.

However I'd guess that most inside Celtic Park on a Saturday aren't particularly religious. Christianity is dying in the UK, although that's a debate for another thread.

What I will say, is that a lot of foreign fans perceive us as the Catholic club in Glasgow, incorrectly in my opinion but I understand why they think that.

 

It's hardly unreasonable to think why foreign fans would associate us with being a "Catholic club".

Celtic = Irish
Irish = Irish Catholics

Again, club set up by Catholics and Irish Catholics to feed the hungry Irish Catholics in their neighbourhoods...

 

There's obviously still a connection with the Irish/catholic community the club was built around, those will always be our roots, but we've not been just "the catholic club" in the way those across the city obsess about being a protestant/catholic club.

We'll always have the Irish roots but the catholic association to that I think is and will become less and less relevant over time since people in general have moved further and further from religion in this country, I don't think it would be unreasonable to say, that even a good chunk of the people going to parkhead that would still identify as catholic if asked, only ever set foot in a chapel for weddings and funerals these days.

 

I agree with every word of this, good post mate. Kinda describes my thoughts minus the parts about being Irish.