Former Principal Clerk of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, Rev Dr George Whyte, has been honoured by the Catholic Church for his commitment to dialogue between the Church of Scotland and the Catholic Church.
He was invested as a Papal Knight of the Order of St Gregory the Great by Archbishop Leo Cushley at St Bennet’s in Edinburgh on 24 January 2023.
‘This thoughtful gesture is a sign of how we have grown together as denominations – a closeness which was expressed more publicly in the St Margaret Declaration signed at last year’s General Assembly’, commented Rev Dr George Whyte.
The Pontifical Equestrian Order of St Gregory the Great is one of five categories of papal knighthood of the Holy See, in which recipients are made either knights or dames. It was established by Pope Gregory XVI in 1831. The honour is bestowed in recognition of personal service to the Holy See and to the Church, through good work and the good example they set in communities and countries.
‘I was delighted the Holy Father welcomed my request to have George honoured in this way. We hope that people in our communities will continue to grow in faith, respect and brotherly and sisterly respect for each other’, commented Archbishop Cushley.
For full details, please see the Archdiocese of St Andrews & Edinburgh website.
