Royal representative, the Duke of Edinburgh, calls on Church to continue being a force for good

The contribution of minsters and members of the Church of Scotland has been praised by His Grace, the Duke of Edinburgh, as he addressed the Kirk's annual General Assembly in Edinburgh.

In at times a very personal speech, he also spoke of how he had experienced God's care and love and thanked Scotland's Royal Chaplains in particular for the support they had shown to his family behind closed doors following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth, at Balmoral in September 2022.

His Grace was speaking as the Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly, the personal representative of his brother King Charles.

The role reflects the Kirk's importance as the national church and the monarch's place as both protector and member of that Church.

This is the second time that Prince Edward has been appointed Lord High Commissioner, having previously represented the late Queen in 2014, but he joked: "Some of you will be thinking that we have done this before.

"However, records will state that it was the Earl and Countess of Wessex in 2014, whereas this year it is the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh – an easy mistake to make."

The Duke apologised on behalf of his wife Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, for her absence at the opening day of the General Assembly, as she was attending the 80^th anniversary commemorations of the Battle of Monte Cassino in Italy.

Building a stronger church

His Grace began his speech by congratulating Rt Rev Dr Shaw J Paterson on his appointment as Moderator and for more than 30 years' service to the Church, and thanked those attending in person and online for all they do in their communities, but also for participating in the debates and decisions about the challenges facing the Church of Scotland.

He also paid tribute to outgoing Moderator Very Rev Sally Foster-Fulton for "a wonderful year" as an ambassador for the Church where "your warmth and personality has charmed everyone at home and abroad".

Taking up the theme chosen by Dr Paterson for this year's General Assembly – Building Together – His Royal Highness said: "You can't construct something unless you work together.

"Coincidentally, or perhaps intentionally, there is a link between that theme and the city of Edinburgh, for their motto is taken from the opening of Psalm 127: ‘Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labour in vain.'"

Noting that the new Moderator also wished to highlight the importance of connecting with and listening to people and showing them that God and Church care for them, His Grace said this was something he could relate to.

He and the Duchess will often meet people who had been caught up in traumatic events, something that was never easy, but always worthwhile.

This was particularly true regarding the Duchess' work supporting victims of conflict-related sexual violence, something which had taken her to conflict zones around the world, most recently Ukraine.

"In all such cases, we are usually powerless to affect instant change, but that's not the point.

"The point is to listen without judging, to show we care," he said.

"Probably the greatest challenge that you as ministers face is representing the Church and God when those in grief or strife are seeking answers.

"In a world where we are often too quick to seek blame and where we are always searching for some rational explanation, some can ask difficult questions of God and of their own faith.

"In the Letter to the Hebrews, the author – who may or may not have been St Paul – says: ‘Faith is being sure or what we hope for and certain of what we cannot see.' This, for me, is such a profoundly simple explanation.

"Putting our faith in God ought not to be about predestination, for that leads to difficult questions when things start to go wrong.

"For me it is far more subtle and complex.

"And critically, when things get so dark that nothing is certain and we reach a place where we dare not hope for something, or do not know what to hope for, and when it is hard to have faith, the importance or hope or having a vision for what you want to try to achieve, or just daring to dream, should never be underestimated."

Forever grateful

His Grace also took the opportunity to thank the Chaplains Royal, especially those of the Church of Scotland for the support his own family have received.

"There have been moments recently where I felt I have been lucky to experience God's care and love," he said.

"Who can forget the scenes that followed the passing of my mother?

"The outpouring of emotions, the demonstrations of respect, love and grief was overwhelming and a privilege to experience and behold.

"And I think I can speak for my whole family when I say that we will remain forever grateful for that support.

"Coming so soon after the passing of my father, which of course happened while we were still under pandemic restrictions, made everything far more emotional.

"I was really touched and comforted by the manner in which the chaplains made us all feel behind closed doors and away from the public gaze and the scrutiny.

"Yes, I know it is part of the job description, so perhaps I should not have been surprised, but it is not necessarily what they did, it is how they did it.

"Here were centuries of tradition, of rituals long practiced, of prayer, of care and of comfort.

"You and we, the current custodians of those traditions, rituals, values and skills.

"The world around us will never cease from change.

"New ideas and concepts will bombard us, yet we also seek certainty and continuity.

"And it's a tricky balance to remain relevant or at least determine how to change, and for what purpose."

One of the greatest skills of a church, and particularly a national church, was tolerance and the ability to make everyone feel welcome, the Duke suggested, and the parable of the Good Samaritan offered an example of how to achieve that.

"The point about who is our neighbour is so well made. It is not for us to presume or to judge," he said.

"If God cares about all of us – and Jesus teaches us to do so for all – then it is beholden on his Church and those who work for or on behalf of his Church, to demonstrate that care for all.

"If we want our Church to be welcoming and our churches to be truly living, breathing and essential places in our communities, then they need to be unifying spaces that are loved and cherished.

"However, tolerance is like listening. It is a reciprocal activity.

"It requires acceptance and acknowledgement of each other's perspectives, knowledge and understanding.

"And here is perhaps how we can build together."

His Grace drew his address to a close by referencing both its heritage and its future.

"Christianity helped to make this nation what it is," he said.

"The Church of Scotland has been a critical part of that story for more than 400 years and I trust will be for a few centuries more.

"Your communities need you, even if sometimes they may take you for granted and not realise how important your role is until the times of real need.

"You are gathered here this week because you care.

"You care about your communities, you care about your parishes, you care about your Church.

"I wish you well in all your deliberations and I trust that all the decisions you take will serve your Church and communities, but most importantly, I hope you take those decisions with courage and conviction, that through your collective action, you ensure that Christianity in Scotland remains a force for good and an on-going source of influence in creating a harmonious society.

"May God bless all that you care about and guide all that you do."

A difficult time for Church and nation

Responding to the Duke's address, incoming Moderator Rt Rev Dr Shaw Paterson began by asking him to convey the best wishes of the General Assembly to his brother, The King, following his cancer diagnosis.

He continued: "Please, urge him to take the time he needs to get up to full speed - his health is important.

"We will be praying for him, and for all who have health concerns."

"The Church so enjoyed your last visit as Lord High. Commissioners who were here appreciated the way you reached out, put people at ease and shared a genuine interest in the work of the Church and communities across Scotland.

"For the Assembly should know that when you are not sitting in the Royal Gallery, you are travelling hundreds of miles to meet people and projects all across the country."

Dr Paterson concluded: "This is a difficult time for our church, our nation and the world in which we live.

"It's tempting to think that much of what is going on, whether it be cost of living, conflict or climate change, is beyond us because we have tended to become very isolated.

"My theme is building together, as you have alluded to, for together we can be such an incredible resource for good in our communities, across our nation and throughout the world."