l to r: Bishop Moran, the Lord Provost, Dean of Guild Fred Dalgarno

pics: Aberdeen City Council

16 August 2006

Bishop Peter Moran of Aberdeen became a Burgess of the Burgh of Aberdeen at a meeting of the City Council within the Town House.

In the ancient ceremony, he handed to Lord Provost John Reynolds a white purse, symbolising his donation of five old Scots shillings , and received a Diploma of membership.

Bishop Moran, 71, thus becomes a member of an elite group of about nine hundred people who were either born in Aberdeen or live or work in it and who promote Aberdeen city with its rich history and culture all over the world.   He becomes an official ambassador of the Granite city.

The bishop said: “I was greatly honoured to be invited by the Dean of Guild to be a Burgess of this city. I look forward to using my European contacts in promoting Aberdeen.”

The Bishop who heads Scotland’s northernmost Catholic diocese, has recently established links with Poland, bringing Polish priests to serve in the North East of Scotland.

He also represents the Scottish Catholic Bishops in Brussels, at the meetings of COMECE, the Commission of Bishops Conferences of the European Community. 

His French opposite number at COMECE is Archbishop Hippolyte Simon of Clermont, from Aberdeen’s twin city.  Only last week Aberdeen’s Lord Provost welcomed the two bishops to lunch.