Pope Francis commended the deepening Catholic-Protestant friendship in Scotland during a recent meeting with leaders of the Church of Scotland.
“We talked about how we both recognised ourselves in what is happening to the ordinary people there and how we need to recognise our common humanity more openly” said Rt Rev Sally Foster-Fulton, the Moderator of the General Assembly.
The leaders stressed the importance of Christians uniting in today’s world.
Historically the Church of Scotland, a Calvinist Presbyterian denomination, and the Catholic Church had a strained relationship.
Much of the tension stemmed from the 15th-century Catholic-Protestant Reformation.
However last year, they signed the “St Margaret’s Declaration” committing to friendship and cooperation.
This declaration acknowledges past grievances and the need for forgiveness and healing.
It reflects the spirit of Saint Margaret, an 11th-century Scottish queen venerated for her Christian faith and generosity.
During the meeting, the leaders discussed their commitment to ecumenical and interfaith efforts in Scotland.
They also stressed the importance of challenging the status quo, especially regarding their Gospel commitment to the poor.
They reaffirmed their dedication to being a voice for peace in today’s world.
Fragility of life
During the Vatican meeting, the pope was given a print of “Throwaway People” by artist Michael McVeigh.
The artwork reflects the vulnerability of marginalised individuals, resonating with the pope’s mission to prevent such circumstances.
Foster-Fulton said the work is an “expression of the fragility of life and how easy it is to fall through the cracks.”
“It is a print that I have remembered forever I said to Pope Francis, who has dedicated his life to try to make sure that does not happen, that I wanted him to have that picture. He took it and turned it over and wrote something on the back in Italian so he would remember. He was very, very taken by it” she said.
Foster-Fulton also said she and Francis discussed the escalation of violence across Israel and Palestine and the war in Ukraine.
Afterwards, Foster-Fulton and her group visited Rome’s Pontifical Scots College which has been educating Catholic priests since 1616.
The seminary gave the group a presentation on the Catholic Church’s vision for seminary formation and the particular way that this is put into practice in the college.
Sources