Two ministers have given evidence to the independent Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry investigating the pandemic’s impact on worship and life events.

The Rev Bryan Kerr and the Rev Dr George Whyte represented the Church in conversations with the Scottish Government on the formation and implementation of guidance relating to restrictions on Church life.

Dr Whyte was the Principal Clerk to the General Assembly in March 2020. Asked by Junior Counsel Faryma Bahrami if Church leaders felt they had a moral duty to keep religious buildings open to followers, he said: “Our general feeling was there was no choice but to close and therefore we didn’t really agonise over the morality of it.”

Dr Whyte said there was no doubt that the disease, lockdown and restrictions had caused ‘emotional and psychological harm’ to some people.

“We did not fully understand the impact of people staying at home, or children not being able to attend schools and groups or not being able to mourn properly or look after loved ones,” he added.

Dr Whyte said conducting funerals during the pandemic was a “real challenge” for ministers.

“The preparation for death, the grieving and the immediate care of people afterwards, everything had to be done at a distance or on the phone or via a video link.

“The care of people who are dying and near the end of their life was obviously very restricted as well and we had heart tugging situations where people would speak to each other through windows and say goodbye to their relatives on the phone.

“Clearly, that’s not an ideal way to end life and face loss – it felt wrong, caused anxiety and left lasting scars on people who felt they should have been there for their family and friends.”

Mr Kerr, minister of Lanark Greyfriars Parish Church, set out a series of lessons that he believes should be learned from the experience. He said governments need to better support faith groups that provide welfare support in communities, that communication between faith communities and the Scottish Government was very good but less so with local authorities.

Mr Kerr said it was positive that faith groups played a part in developing national guidelines but it was a ‘big burden’ on the Church to produce its own guidelines in an ever-changing landscape.

Mr Kerr added that ministers, parish staff, priests, and other faith group personnel, should be automatically given keyworker status during a future pandemic. He also said it was ‘profoundly unfair’ that places of worship did not qualify for support from the Scottish Government, despite the work of faith groups during the pandemic.