The start of the parliamentary term offers a “new beginning”, the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland has said.
The Right Reverend Rosie Frew addressed new MSPs, multi-faith religious leaders and members of Scotland’s civic society at St Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh on Wednesday evening as part of the traditional Kirking of the Parliament ceremony.
The outgoing moderator, whose term will finish this week at the General Assembly, spoke of the words emblazoned on the ceremonial mace which sits in the Holyrood Parliament – wisdom, justice, compassion and integrity.
The mace was gifted to Holyrood by the Queen Elizabeth II, with the words it carries intended to guide MSPs.
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Frew said: “These four words are not the possession of any one party. They are words for all of you, for all of us. Words of aspiration.
“For all our MSPs, new and returning, it is a new beginning – a new Parliament, new people to get to know, new roles, new commitments to get up to speed on.
“We’ve had an election, and by their very nature elections are combative, heated battles at the hustings, the fight for votes, and yet as politicians regardless of party, there is so much that you have in common.
“Public service is not about personal gain or recognition but about serving the welfare of others.
“It calls for wisdom, integrity, justice, and compassion, whether in formal leadership or everyday acts of service.
“By following these principles, public servants and individuals alike can honour God and contribute meaningfully to the welfare of our people and our land.”
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She added: “The words on the mace – wisdom, justice, compassion and integrity – remind you, our MSPs, and all of us, that democracy is more than the counting of votes.
“It is a moral enterprise, a shared commitment to seek the common good. And a common commitment to service.”
The ceremony is a multi-faith blessing of the new parliament. It was reintroduced after the Scottish Parliament reconvened in 1999 after Devolution, having historically been performed in the original Scottish parliament that sat in the middle ages until 1707.
The service traditionally takes place the evening before the first sitting of a new parliamentary term, which begins on Thursday.
The ceremony included hymns, prayers, choral performances, and a sermon by Frew.
The service was attended by leaders of Scotland's main political parties, as well as many of the new MSPs and the Duke of Edinburgh.
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