Bishop Hugh Gilbert OSB of the Diocese of Aberdeen congratulates Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth on the joyful occasion of her Platinum Jubilee. We thank her for her seventy years of service of our nation and the Commonwealth. Her Majesty has been a beacon of unity, hope, and steadfast Christian witness. We pray for God’s blessing upon her and her family, for good health and happiness as she continues to serve us as sovereign and queen.
In a message to the Queen Pope Francis: “On this joyful occasion of your Majesty’s birthday, and as you celebrate this Platinum Jubilee year, I send cordial greetings and good wishes, together with the renewed assurance of my prayers that Almighty God will bestow upon you, the members of the Royal Family and all the people of the nation blessings of unity, prosperity and peace.”
In a previously unpublished message sent to Queen Elizabeth on 29 March, the Pope said he joins with those expressing appreciation for her persevering and steadfast service to the good of the nation, “the advancement of its people, and the preservation of its illustrious spiritual, cultural and political heritage.”
In recognition of the monarch’s commitment to the care of God’s creation, Pope Francis is donating a Cedar of Lebanon to the Queen’s Green Canopy initiative. He expressed the hope that this tree, “which in the Bible symbolises the flourishing of fortitude, justice and prosperity, would be a pledge of abundant divine blessings” upon her realm.
The project invites people from across the United Kingdom to “Plant a Tree for the Jubilee”.
As well as inviting the planting of new trees, The Queen’s Green Canopy will dedicate a network of 70 Ancient Woodlands across the United Kingdom and identify 70 Ancient Trees to celebrate Her Majesty’s 70 years of service.
