It was a special day for two of Scotland’s churches this week.

In Edinburgh on Tuesday, Bishop Mark Strange, Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church and myself, representing the Catholic Church in Scotland, signed the Saint Ninian Declaration.

It is a friendship agreement between the two churches

Now, this isn’t about pretending our churches are the same. We know there are differences. But it is about choosing to walk together, to pray together, and to work together for the good of the people we serve.

We undertook a walk between our two cathedrals. Along the way we were welcomed by representatives of the Church of Scotland. It was a simple gesture, but a powerful one – showing that Scotland’s three largest Christian communities want to journey together. Both our churches have signed declarations of friendship with the Church of Scotland in recent years.

Tuesday’s step builds on that story.

And yet, it’s not just about church leaders. It’s a message for all of us. Friendship is possible, even when we don’t see eye to eye. True friendship doesn’t mean agreeing on everything – it means being honest, trusting one another, and choosing love over suspicion.

That feels important in today’s world. We live in a time when it can seem harder than ever for some people to even to sit at the same table with someone who thinks differently from them. Too often, disagreement is seen as division, and difference as something to fear.

But it doesn’t have to be that way. By listening, by showing respect, we can discover that what unites us is often much greater than what divides us.

The Saint Ninian Declaration isn’t the end of a journey – it’s just another step along the way. But we hope it will be a sign of hope, reconciliation, and friendship for Scotland.

St Ninian, after all, brought the Christian faith to this land over fifteen hundred years ago.

Today, we try to walk in his footsteps – shoulder to shoulder, as friends and partners in the mission of peace and service.