THE new Moderator of the
General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, the Rt Revd Lorna Hood,
caused a stir when she took the official Moderator's ring into a
jewellery shop to have it resized.
The original gold band,
which has a violet amethyst engraved with a burning bush and the
Kirk's motto, Nec tamen consumebatur, was stolen from the
serving Moderator's house in December 2010. The stone was later
returned anonymously, and a new ring made. The new ring was stolen
in April, this time from a bag in Edinburgh Airport, together with
a small gold cross pendant (News, 12
April).
Police Scotland and
church officials distributed a description of the ring; but did not
disclose that a duplicate existed (pictured, right). So,
when Mrs Hood took the duplicate to a jeweller in Hamilton to be
resized, before taking up her post of Moderator last weekend,
sharp-eyed staff recognised the ring, and called the police.
Police Scotland have
confirmed that they had contacted the Kirk's HQ in Edinburgh to
report that the ring had been found.
"I thought my official
photos as Moderator might end up on Crimewatch, or end up
with a serial number in front of it," Mrs Hood said, after the
misunderstanding had been resolved.
The Kirk is offering a substantial reward for the return of the
ring.
