New law to lift ban on Catholics in Kirk role

A new bill lifting the ban on Catholics becoming the King's representative at the Church of Scotland's annual assembly has been introduced at the House of Commons.

Lady Eilish Angiolini KC has been given the post of lord high commissioner of the church's 2025 general assembly.

However, the former lord advocate is a practicing Catholic and legally prohibited from holding the position under laws written in the 19th century.

The Church of Scotland (Lord High Commissioner) Act 2025 would revoke that legislation and "make provision for persons of the Roman Catholic faith" to hold the role.

The general assembly has met almost every year since the protestant reformation of 1560.

It meets to make laws and set agendas for the Kirk.

The lord high commissioner acts as the sovereign's representative at the event, and delivers the opening and closing speeches.

The role is usually held by a prominent member of Scottish society, including King Charles himself in 2000.

However, a provision in the Roman Catholic Relief Act 1829 meant those of the Catholic faith were still barred from the position.

The act allowed Catholics in the United Kingdom to retain their faith while serving in parliament and higher office.

But it made an omission for the position of lord high commissioner.

The new Bill, proposed by Labour MP Pat McFadden, will remove that provision in time for Lady Angiolini to take up the job in May.

The cabinet office described her appointment as a "significant gesture of unity, goodwill and collaboration" between the Kirk and the Catholic Church in Scotland.

Lady Angiolini, who was born in Glasgow's Govan to a family of Irish Catholic descent, served as solicitor general under Jack McConnell between 2001 and 2006.

She was later lord advocate from 2007 until 2011, when she was succeeded by Lord Mulholland.

She described accepting the position as lord high commissioner as "a great honour" after being appointed to the role in December.

History will be made in May when a practising Catholic processes up the steps and in to the General Assembly hall to take her place as lord high commissioner.

Lady Elish Angioloni KC has been appointed as the King's personal representative to the Kirk's governing body.

One hundred years ago, the idea of a female Catholic representing the Sovereign would have been unconscionable to the Kirk's ruling elite.

The atmosphere then was very different - in 1923 a report was presented to the Assembly entitled: 'The Menace of the Irish Race to our Scottish Nationality'.

Since then, strenuous ecumenical efforts have taken place to build bridges across the sectarian divide – and the new lord high commissioner exemplifies that.

The highly respected Lady Angiolini (who's also a knight of the thistle) is now firmly part of Scotland's 'establishment' so her appointment is completely uncontroversial.

There were louder grumblings in the Kirk when the former Conservative minister Lord Younger was appointed in 2001 due to his family's links with the alcohol industry.

Some rumours swirl at Westminster that no one had quite remembered that it was "illegal" to appoint a Catholic - hence today we see this hastily introduced "panic" legislation.

That will, however, be enacted in time - allowing Lady Angiolini to take her place in Scottish history.