Moderator to give Holyrood special Bible ahead of devolution’s 25th anniversary

The Rt Rev Sally Foster-Fulton will present a special Bible to the Scottish Parliament to mark its upcoming 25th anniversary (Church of Scotland/PA)

A special Bible to mark the 25th anniversary of devolution is being presented to the Scottish Parliament.

The Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, the Rt Rev Sally Foster-Fulton, will hand over the holy book to Holyrood’s Presiding Officer Alison Johnstone during a visit on Tuesday.

On its front cover it features the words “wisdom, justice, compassion and integrity” – the same words that are engraved on the mace that was presented to the Scottish Parliament by the late Queen Elizabeth II.

The Moderator of the Church of Scotland will present the Bible to Presiding Officer Alison Johnstone (Church of Scotland/PA)

On her visit to Holyrood, the Moderator will be joined by Elaine Duncan, chief executive officer of the Scottish Bible Society, which has provided the special gift.

When originally established, the Scottish Parliament met in the General Assembly Hall of the Church of Scotland – with MSPs conducting their business there from 1999 until the new Holyrood building opened in 2004.

As Holyrood approaches is 25th anniversary – the first meeting of the Parliament was on May 12 1999 – the Moderator is due to meet party leaders over the course of this week.

She will use these discussions to raise a range of issues, including poverty and deprivation, climate change, the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, assisted dying, ending conversion practices and the treatment of asylum seekers.

Donald Dewar, who was Scotland’s first first minister, outside the General Assembly Hall of the Church of Scotland, where Holyrood first sat (David Cheskin/PA)

Mrs Foster-Fulton: “As part of my moderatorial visit to the Scottish Parliament in the 25th year since devolution, I am giving to the Parliament a copy of the Bible.

“It holds truths and wisdom that shine light on righteousness, holiness, mercy and just government.”

She added that the book invited MSPs into a “lifelong dialogue about how to make real the values etched into the parliamentary mace – wisdom, justice, compassion, integrity”.

Th religious leader added her time at Holyrood was “also a chance for deep conversations with a range of politicians representing different political groups and ideas”.

She stated: “This is a chance for me, as Moderator, to represent the concerns and hopes of the wider Church, and to offer the prayers and good wishes of the Church of Scotland to those elected to public service.”