Scottish Catholic Observer

The Bishops of Scotland have been at the forefront of commemorative events that were held across the country to mark the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War.

Archbishop Philip Tartaglia of Glasgow attended a special service at Glasgow Cathedral on Monday where special guests included Prince Charles, Prime Minister David Cameron, First Minister Alex Salmond and Commonwealth heads of government, as well as UK and Irish politicians. A wreath-laying ceremony later took place at the cenotaph in Glasgow.

In Paisley, Bishop John Keenan presided over a special lights out service at St Mirin’s Cathedral and Bishop Stephen Robson of Dunkeld preached at a solemn commemoration of the centenary of the beginning of the First World War in Dundee city centre.

Archbishop Tartaglia said it was a great privilege to be at the service in Glasgow.

“I was glad to be present to represent the archdiocese at the Commonwealth Service in Glasgow Cathedral,” the archbishop said. “This city and this country gave up many young men to the terrible carnage that was World War One. The service was well constructed to avoid any semblance of triumphalism or celebration of war. Rather it focused on the many human tragedies that don’t feature very often in the history books.”

Later that day, a commemoration service for the start of the First World War took place at St Mirin’s Cathedral in Paisley at 10.15pm. Bishop Keenan of Paisley and the Moderator of the Paisley and Greenock Presbytery were joined by Provost Anne Hall, Guy Clarke, Lord Lieutenant of Renfrewshire and Christopher Rowe, Army chaplain, for a service of reflection with hymns, poems and letters from First World War soldiers.

The culmination of the service was when the memorial candle was extinguished at 11pm, the moment Britain went to war with Germany.

At the weekend, Bishop Stephen Robson had given a powerful address on the horrors of war at a special service in Dundee city centre. The bishop admitted on Saturday that he felt ‘distinctly unqualified to speak about today’s commemoration.’

“I have no personal experience of any war—except like most of us with our daily bombardment of Syria, Gaza and Iraq on the news,” the bishop said before adding that ‘facts and data cannot by themselves explain how real people felt and survived; the real human cost of war, we need to remember together, to commemorate.’

The bishop went on to say that war was very hard to understand but hope could be found in Christ’s teachings.

“To me now the only thing that makes sense of such brutality is something that is found throughout the New Testament which, though certainly not exclusive to war, helps us understand something of the motivation of those who fought and are remembered,” he said. “Because Ironically Jesus Christ, the Prince of peace, only wins that peace by laying down his life for his friends.”

Further services of commemoration and memorial for the dead of the First World War are planned for the rest of the year, including this Sunday, when Archbishop Tartaglia will celebrate Mass at noon at St Andrew’s Cathedral in Glasgow for all those who died during the First World War.

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Pic: Charlie Muir

—Read the full version of this story in August 8 edition of the SCO in parishes from Friday.