A John Knox look-alike is to welcome the Pope to Scotland. The actor has been hired by the Catholic Church to play the leader of Scotland’s Protestant Reformation in a pageant of the country’s historical figures.

The 25 characters will parade in front of the pontiff’s Popemobile on Princes Street, Edinburgh, during his visit in September.

Knox’s surprise inclusion by Catholic Church leaders follows accusations that this year’s 450th anniversary of the Reformation is being ignored by the Scottish Government.

The Reformation of 1560 revoked the Pope’s authority in Scotland and banned Catholic Mass.

Last night, Church of Scotland leaders welcomed the fact Knox will feature.

A Church of Scotland spokesman said: "It is a sign of a healthy nation that diversity within the Christian community is something to be celebrated as opposed to a source of division and struggle.

"It is a gift to those of us of a Protestant persuasion that by including this figure, the Catholic Church is contributing to the celebrations of the Reformation."

Peter Kearney, spokesman for the Catholic Church in Scotland, said Knox had been included because he was "an important figure" in Scottish history.

He said: "We have a shared Christian history and we are celebrating that.”

• Full story at the Sunday Mail.

• Filed under Edinburgh + East, Papal Visit, Reformation, Roman Catholic Church, Scottish Christian News Monitor.