Scottish Catholic Observer

The bishop (above) said that the society proposals ‘that the Highland Council drop its established custom of prayers’ should be resisted.

“Only recently someone who takes part in such meetings remarked to me how much they appreciated this practice,” he said. “It is a recognition of a common responsibility before God for the welfare of the people the council serves. It is, as even those without faith can see, a profession of humility—surely a salutary attitude for those who hold public office. I am confident that the Highland Council will not let a minority deny others their right to such a small but significant expression of religious belief.”

The National Secular Society was successful in taking a Devon town council to court over the practice and the ruling was seen as a test case in England and Wales. Society executive director Keith Porteous said the ruling also applied to Scottish local authorities.

The society brought a legal action against Bideford Town Council after atheist councillor Clive Bone complained about prayers. In February, Mr Justice Ouseley ruled the prayers were not lawful under section 111 of the Local Government Act 1972. However, he said prayers could be said as long as councillors were not formally summoned to attend.

Following the judgement, the UK Government said it would activate a power it said would allow councils in England to hold prayers at meetings.

However, Highland councillor Ken MacLeod took the same line as Bishop Gilbert.

“It, we believe, reflects the wish of our electorate and of the people of the Highlands,” he said. “The people of the Highlands were once known as the people of the book, the book being the Bible, and we believe we should pay our respects to our maker when we pray to Him.”