FIVE Catholic priests have been sent death threats by a “deranged” stalker, it emerged last night.

Detectives have launched an investigation into the campaign, which has targeted priests in the St Andrews and Edinburgh archdiocese, headed by Cardinal Keith O’Brien, Scotland’s most senior Catholic clergyman.

Clerics who are understood to have received the death threats last week include Father Patrick Boylan, who is based at St Michael’s church, in Linlithgow, West Lothian, and Monsignor Philip Kerr, of St Francis Xavier’s in Falkirk.

Similar letters were sent to the homes of a canon and two other priests — based at St Martin of Tours, in Tranent, East Lothian, St James church in St Andrews and St Bride’s in Cowdenbeath. The death threats were all posted in Scotland.

Last night Cardinal O’Brien said: “I am worried for the safety of my priests. It’s the work of somebody who is deranged.

“Such threats must always be taken seriously. To receive a death threat in your mail must be a terrible and frightening experience. I am not surprised they are alarmed. None of them can understand why they have been singled out for such treatment.

“We can only pray for their safety and that no harm comes to them. We can only hope the police investigations come to a speedy and successful conclusion.”

The police inquiry is a joint operation involving forces from Fife, Lothian and Borders, and Central Scotland.

The priests are understood to have received the letters, which are believed not to be sectarian in nature, on Monday and Tuesday last week and to have reported them to police individually. The clerics discovered that their colleagues had been sent similar messages when they gathered for the chrism mass in Edinburgh, last week.

Don McAulay, chair of St Michael’s parish council in Linlithgow, said Boylan had been threatened by a stalker earlier this year.

“Father Boylan was threatened by someone who got into the church and was belligerent towards him. I know there were other priests approached after that.

“We were told to keep an eye on any strangers coming into the church and not to leave him alone, just in case.” It is not known whether the man is responsible for the death threats.

Inspector Graham Wallace of Fife constabulary said the letters appeared to have been sent by one person.

“There is nothing to suggest a group of people or a sect is involved. We’re following up lines of inquiry and liaising with the other forces involved with a view to determining whether all the letters are from the same source,” he said.

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