A couple of weeks ago I wrote a post that referred to plans by the Australian Presbyterian Church to conduct a rally in Sydney in September to mark the 450th anniversary of the Scottish Reformation.
At G.A. Junkie Steve Salyards considers the subject of Scotland’s efforts to marginalise the occasion along with plans for a visit by the Pope of the Roman Catholic Church. So while some Australian Presbyterians will take time in September to give thanks to God for the Reformation He brought about through John Knox, in Scotland a street parade in honour of the Pope will include character representations of Scottish historical figures, including, (yes, you’ve guessed it) John Knox.
There have also been rumblings about how the Scottish Parliament has been playing down the 450th anniversary. Speculation as to reasons includes sensitivity to the Pope’s visit, but also mentions the secularization of the nation, consideration for other faith traditions, and just apathy to the anniversary. Or, as one writer says about the Scottish Reformation and the anniversary “…a trail of violence, vandalism and destruction, from which Scotland’s heritage has never recovered, and which is the possibly the real reason authorities can not touch the 450th anniversary of the Reformation with a rather long barge-pole.”
But in the last few days the plans for the Pope’s arrival have been announced and the spectacle is to include a parade in Edinburgh which will include actors portraying historical figures. Amongst those characters will be John Knox, and that seems to be drawing all the attention.
Please note the irony, or down-right discordance, here. It was not just that John Knox lead the reform that separated Scotland from Rome. In the process he did not have a lot of nice things to say about the pontiff, specifically equating him with the antichrist. He is quoted in one instance as saying “the papal religion is but an abomination before God” and “flee out of Babylon, that you perish not with her.” (source ). Another quote from Knox says “The Papacy is the very Antichrist, the Pope being the son of perdition of whom Paul speaks.” (source ) Finally, the Scots Confession, of which Knox was a principle author, says this in Chapter 18:So it is essential that the true kirk be distinguished from the filthy synagogues by clear and perfect notes lest we, being deceived, receive and embrace, to our own condemnation, the one for the other. The notes, signs, and assured tokens whereby the spotless bride of Christ is known from the horrible harlot, the malignant kirk, we state, are neither antiquity, usurped title, lineal succession, appointed place, nor the numbers of men approving an error.
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