EDINBURGH - 19 September 2006 - 508 words
Scottish Cardinal to wash feet of peace marchers in interfaith ceremony
Scotland's Long Walk for Peace is set to reach its conclusion today with a rally at the Scottish Parliament at 3pm.
The rally will feature speakers from the
major political parties and representatives from the country's
faith communities. There will be contributions from Cardinal Keith
Patrick O'Brien, President of the Bishops, Conference of Scotland,
the Rt Rev Alan McDonald, Moderator of the General Assembly of
the Church of Scotland and the Episcopal Bishop of Edinburgh,
the Rt Rev Brian Smith.
Earlier, at 1pm, St John's Episcopal Church, Princes Street, will
host a symbolic foot washing ceremony on the terrace outside the
Church. Bishop Smith, Cardinal O'Brien and the Moderator will
be washing the feet of some of the people who have been taking
part in the Long Walk which set out from Faslane on Thursday 14
September. During the feet washing an interfaith service of reflection,
led by lay people, will take place inside St John's church.
The Government will decide before the end of 2006 whether Britain
will continue to have nuclear weapons and whether to build new
submarines to replace Trident. Having travelled 85 miles across
Scotland, the Long Walk for Peace demands that the Scottish Parliament
and Scottish MPs work to make Trident history.
Speaking prior to today's events Cardinal Keith Patrick O'Brien,
President of the Bishops, Conference of Scotland, said: "We
are convinced that if it is immoral to use these weapons, it is
also immoral to threaten their use. We urge the Government of
the United Kingdom not to invest in a replacement for the Trident
System and to begin the process of decommissioning these weapons
with the intention of diverting the sums spent on nuclear weaponry
to programmes of aid and development".
The Cardinal added: "We remind all
who will listen that if nuclear war is illogical, immoral and
inconceivable, then investing billions of pounds in more nuclear
weapons is iniquitous, irrational and absurd."
The Moderator of the General Assembly, the Rt Rev Alan McDonald,
commented:
"The Prime Minister, Tony Blair, has said that he wants there
to be 'an open public debate' about the possible replacement for
the Trident ballistic missile system. The LONG WALK shows that
the people of Scotland are contributing to that debate, and they
are arguing against weapons of mass destruction.
"How can it be right to spend £25 billion on a weapon
of unimaginable destruction and horror when so many of the 6 billion
inhabitants of earth still exist on less than a dollar a day?
Furthermore, in this Post Cold War, new War on Terrorism World,
exactly who would we target with our new, improved nuclear weapons?
That is indeed a good question one that brings the sheer insanity
of nuclear weapons into sharp relief.
"Since 1981 the Church of Scotland has said, time and again,
that nuclear weapons and weapons of mass destruction are morally
and theologically wrong. I am very proud to have the chance to
reiterate this position today."
Source: SCMO
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