The witness moved to Smyllum Park in Lanark in 1974, aged around eight years old, along with his two brothers.

He told the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry in Edinburgh how punishments at the home included being beaten with “Jesus slippers” and being locked in a dark room.

He left Smyllum Park in 1981 but said his time there still has an impact on his life.

The witness said: “What was put in front of you, you had to eat, we were getting force-fed.

“The sister would come behind you, hold your nose and ram it down you.

“It was as if they knew what food you didn’t like. I’m not saying they enjoyed (doing) it.

“When my partner cooks, she will make macaroni, lasagna or pasta. The smell… I just have to get away from it.

“If her and my daughter are sitting there eating custard, I can’t go anywhere near.

“Just from the force feeding, I can’t be near the smell of the stuff.”

The witness added “70%” of his time at the home was enjoyable, with holidays, trips to the swimming baths and pocket money.

He said he saw one of the nuns and a worker at the home as parent figures.

Beatings were said to be given to the boys when they were misbehaving or “carrying on”.

He told how the worker he saw as a father figure would line them up and give them a “backhand” if he found out they had been doing something they should not have.

Another form of punishment would see boys locked in the pantry or wash room alone with the lights turned off, according to the witness.

The inquiry heard how a…

The course, called ‘Tragedy and Congregations’, aims to help junior clergy react to a tragedy in their area in line with best church practice.

Clergy from all denominations are encouraged to reflect on theological truths by thinking about how tragedy fits in with God’s plan, as well as thinking about how to respond in prayer.

Churches can book a training team for between one and three days to help them think about the minister’s role at times of tragedy and how liturgy can be shaped to help the congregation flourish amidst difficulty.

The training is led by Dr Christopher Southgate, an Associate Professor in Interdisciplinary Theology at the University of Exeter.

He has previously worked as a lay chaplain and on mental health wards.

Dr Southgate told Premier: “When something really terrible happens, still in this country, people look to see what the church will do, so for the church to have a sense of what its resources are is really important.”

Speaking about how churches can react to tragedy helpfully Dr Southgate said: “I hope churches will see the opportunities these terrible events provide them to serve.

“And to provide resources such as prayer and vigil that you can’t find in the secular society.

“We always do material on pastoral care of individuals in times of need but I’ve never seen any programme focused on crisis in congregation and how clergy might respond”

There will be at least twelve sessions held over the country, funded by the Templeton World…

The National Secular Society will claim in its study on Monday that the Prince of Wales’ coronation will provide an “opportune moment” to make the case for separating the Church of England with the state – or “disestablishment.”

The report, called ‘Separating Church and State: The Case for Disestablishment’, outlines the central arguments for splitting the church and state and considers the challenges involved in making this a reality.

It also highlights the fact that only 25 per cent of countries had a state religion in 2011 and, of those, a minority were classed as liberal democracies.

Currently, the reigning monarch is head of state, the head of the Church and holds the titles of supreme governor of the Church of England and defender of the faith.

The report explains that since the mid-nineteenth century, the process of reducing the powers of the Church has stalled, with the only substantive change being the Church of England Assembly (Powers) Act in 1919.

This amendment granted the Church additional powers over its own governance, enabling it – through the Synod, to bring forth its own legislation, and even to amend Acts of Parliament on matters affecting it.

The report says overt support for the church’s establishment “remains weak” but acknowledges “no clamour” for disestablishment among politicians and that most members of the general public are “simply indifferent to the issue”.

The study concludes:…

Most Rev Justin Welby was accused by the National Secular Society (NSS) of using a speech in the House of Lords to “attack” non-religious schools.

The organisation said: “In attacking secular schools over their ‘lack of values’ yesterday, it appears the Archbishop of Canterbury was channelling Hitler!”

Adolf Hitler’s Nazi Germany was responsible for the systematic murders of six million European Jews during the Holocaust. Homosexuals, political opponents and ethnic minorities were among other groups targeted in the killings.

The NSS compared Archbishop Justin’s comments with a quote from Adolf Hitler in 1933, when the Nazi Party leader said “secular schools can never be tolerated”.

During his speech on Friday, the Anglican leader suggested that non-religious schools fail to instil in pupils the values needed to help them challenge Utilitarianism in the world.

Opening a debate on the ‘role of education in building a flourishing and skilled society’, Archbishop Justin said: “We have a world of unguided and competing narratives, where the only common factor is the inviolability of personal choice.

“This means that, for schools that are not of a religious character, confidence in any personal sense of ultimate values has diminished.

“Utilitarianism rules.”

In response, NSS chief executive officer Stephen Evans said: “Welby is absolutely wrong to attack community…