The Bishops' Conference of Scotland

The Roman Catholic Bishops in Scotland work together to undertake nationwide initiatives through their Commissions and Agencies.

The members of the Bishops' Conference are the Bishops of the eight Scottish Dioceses. Where appropriate the Bishops Emeriti (retired) provide a much welcomed contribution to the work of the conference. The Bishops' Conference of Scotland is a permanently constituted assembly which meets regularly throughout the year to address relevant business matters.

Members of The Bishops' Conference of Scotland

3rd September 2026

3 September 2026

Scotland Must Stand with Both Mother and Child

I note with concern the Scottish Government’s response to a recent parliamentary question on abortion law and access to later-stage abortion services. While the Government has indicated that it has no immediate plans to reform abortion law in 2026–27, it has also reaffirmed its intention to consult on the recommendations of the abortion law review advisory group and to establish a nationally commissioned later-stage abortion service in Scotland.

The advisory group, which excluded prolife voices and which adopted a principle of “non-regression” on abortion provision, lacks both legitimacy and credibility. It has made radical recommendations to the Scottish Government which, if implemented, would effectively permit abortion up to birth for any reason and remove the current requirement for two doctors to approve abortions up to 24 weeks. It is astonishing that the report also recommends that future legislation should make no reference to sex-selective abortion, paving the way for unborn babies to be aborted simply because they are deemed to be the wrong sex.

I recognise the real fear, pressure and hardship that can accompany an unexpected or crisis pregnancy. Women in such circumstances deserve compassion, practical assistance, emotional support and the assurance that neither they nor their children will be abandoned. A truly caring society must respond to vulnerability by offering hope and help, not by making abortion more readily available at later stages of pregnancy.

The establishment of later-stage abortion provision in Scotland, alongside proposals to weaken existing legal safeguards, raises grave moral and social questions. Every unborn child is a unique human life deserving of protection, and every mother should be supported in ways that uphold her dignity and the dignity of her child. I therefore make a direct appeal to all elected representatives who recognise the inherent dignity of every human life, to reject any further liberalisation of abortion provisions in Scotland and to oppose measures that would remove essential safeguards or further weaken protection for unborn children.

I urge the Scottish Government and all MSPs to prioritise policies that expand support for women and families, reduce the pressures that lead to abortion, and foster a culture in which every life is welcomed and protected from conception to natural death. Scotland should aspire to be a nation where compassion means standing with both mother and child.

Bishop John Keenan,

President of the National Office for Marriage, Family and Life, Bishops’ Conference of Scotland

...ENDS

Notes for editors

Photo of Bishop John Keenan: Photo of Bishop John Keenan

The Bishops’ Conference of Scotland (BCoS) is the assembly of the Catholic bishops of Scotland, working together on national pastoral, social and legislative matters on behalf of the Church. www.bcos.org.uk
For further information, contact Fr Michael Kane, Director of the Communications and Evangelisation Office, Email: [email protected]

Contact:

Media Office

Bishops’ Conference of Scotland
64 Aitken Street, ML6 6LT
Tel: 01236 764061
Email: [email protected]

21st August 2026

21 August 2026

Final appeal to Catholics ahead of Westminster assisted suicide vote

Bishop John Keenan has issued a pastoral letter urging Catholics across Scotland to contact their MPs ahead of the return of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill to the House of Commons on Friday 11 September.

The Bill, reintroduced by Lauren Edwards MP, would permit eligible terminally ill adults in England and Wales to receive assistance to end their lives. A similar Bill was defeated in the Scottish Parliament last March.

Although this new legislation would apply only to England and Wales, Bishop Keenan stresses that this remains an important moment for Catholics in Scotland. The outcome at Westminster could have significant consequences north of the border and potentially reignite attempts to legalise assisted suicide in Scotland.

In his letter, Bishop Keenan describes the coming vote as a “grave moment for the protection of human life” and urges Catholics to contact their MPs “without delay” and ask them to oppose the Bill.

Bishop Keenan said:

“Our opposition to assisted suicide is rooted in compassion. Every person, from conception until natural death, possesses an inviolable dignity as one made in the image and likeness of God.”

Warning particularly of the potential consequences for vulnerable people, he added:

“Illness, frailty, disability, dependence or fear must never lead society to conclude that some lives are no longer worth living.”

The Bishop calls instead for greater investment in palliative and hospice care and better support for carers, insisting that “the proper response to suffering is care, presence, skilled palliative medicine and practical support—not the deliberate ending of life.”

Scotland’s Catholic bishops encourage all who stand on the side of life to contact their MP today and without delay, asking them to protect vulnerable people, support better palliative and hospice care, and vote against the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill.

...ENDS

Notes to Editor

Photo of the Bishop John Keenan: https://www.bcos.org.uk/portals/0/@publications/photos/bishop%20john%20keenan.gif

Pastoral Letter from Bishop Keenan: https://www.bcos.org.uk/portals/0/@publications/letters/Pastoral Letter - Assisted Suicide Westminster - August 2026.pdf

The Bishops’ Conference of Scotland (BCoS) is the assembly of the Catholic bishops of Scotland, working together on national pastoral, social and legislative matters on behalf of the Church. Bishops’ Conference of Scotland

For further information, contact Fr Michael Kane, Director of the Communications and Evangelisation Office. Email: [email protected]

Contact:

Media Office

Bishops’ Conference of Scotland
64 Aitken Street, ML6 6LT
Tel: 01236 764061
Email: [email protected]

News from the Commissions and Agencies

September 2026

04Sep

Holy Mass of Friday of the Twenty Second Week of Ordinary Time | 04 September 2026

04 Sep, 2026 | Being Catholic | Being Catholic |

Holy Mass of Friday of the Twenty Second Week of Ordinary Time | 04 September 2026
This music is licensed under one license number: A-623356

04Sep

Gospel

04 Sep, 2026 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

Gospel
Luke 5:33-39
‘When the bridegroom is taken away from them, then they will fast.’

At that time: The Pharisees and scribes said to him, ‘The disciples of John fast often and offer prayers, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours eat and drink.’ And Jesus said to them, ‘Can you make wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days.’ He also told them a parable: ‘No one tears a piece from a new garment and puts it on an old garment. If he does, he will tear the new, and the piece from the new will not match the old. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins and it will be spilled, and the skins will be destroyed. But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins. And no one after drinking old wine desires new, for he says, “The old is good.” ’

03Sep

Photos from Diocese of Galloway Youth's post

03 Sep, 2026 | Diocese of Galloway Youth | BCoS Facebook |

We had a fantastic day on Sunday as we enjoyed our Whithorn Youth Pilgrimage as part of the National Pilgrimage to Whithorn.

Young people from across the Diocese gathered in the morning in Newton Stewart for a morning of games and activities, before being joined by Bishop Frank who gave them an introduction to St Ninian and the importance of the pilgrimage journey they were undertaking. He also showed them his Crosier which he invited them to carry down to the beach for Mass. The group then enjoyed a buffet lunch, and, ahead of the weather which was to come, were able to sit in the grounds enjoying one and others company and getting to know their new friends.

After lunch, we headed down to the beach but, due to the weather, stopped in St Martin & St Ninian's Church, Whithorn for our talk from Fr Philip Kitchen who was delighted to share his knowledge about Whithorn and St Ninian with our young people. Due to the rain, we sadly didn't make the beach this year, but enjoyed Mass with Bishop Frank and the Diocese in the church.

Our young people had a fantastic day with the group looking forward to future events: to meet up again, to see their new friends, and to have lots more fun!

Follow us: @rcdgyouth to be the first to know what's on!

03Sep

Holy Mass of Thursday of the Twenty Third Week of Ordinary Time | 10 September 2026

03 Sep, 2026 | Being Catholic | Being Catholic |

Holy Mass of Thursday of the Twenty Third Week of Ordinary Time | 10 September 2026
This music is licensed under one license number: A-623356

03Sep

𝗕𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗽 𝗝𝗼𝗵𝗻 𝗞𝗲𝗲𝗻𝗮𝗻: 𝗦𝗰𝗼𝘁𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗠𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗕𝗼𝘁𝗵 𝗠𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱

03 Sep, 2026 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

𝗕𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗽 𝗝𝗼𝗵𝗻 𝗞𝗲𝗲𝗻𝗮𝗻: 𝗦𝗰𝗼𝘁𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗠𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗕𝗼𝘁𝗵 𝗠𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱

I note with concern the Scottish Government’s response to a recent parliamentary question on abortion law and access to later-stage abortion services. While the Government has indicated that it has no immediate plans to reform abortion law in 2026–27, it has also reaffirmed its intention to consult on the recommendations of the abortion law review advisory group and to establish a nationally commissioned later-stage abortion service in Scotland.

The advisory group, which excluded prolife voices and which adopted a principle of “non-regression” on abortion provision, lacks both legitimacy and credibility. It has made radical recommendations to the Scottish Government which, if implemented, would effectively permit abortion up to birth for any reason and remove the current requirement for two doctors to approve abortions up to 24 weeks. It is astonishing that the report also recommends that future legislation should make no reference to sex-selective abortion, paving the way for unborn babies to be aborted simply because they are deemed to be the wrong sex.

I recognise the real fear, pressure and hardship that can accompany an unexpected or crisis pregnancy. Women in such circumstances deserve compassion, practical assistance, emotional support and the assurance that neither they nor their children will be abandoned. A truly caring society must respond to vulnerability by offering hope and help, not by making abortion more readily available at later stages of pregnancy.

The establishment of later-stage abortion provision in Scotland, alongside proposals to weaken existing legal safeguards, raises grave moral and social questions. Every unborn child is a unique human life deserving of protection, and every mother should be supported in ways that uphold her dignity and the dignity of her child. I therefore make a direct appeal to all elected representatives who recognise the inherent dignity of every human life, to reject any further liberalisation of abortion provisions in Scotland and to oppose measures that would remove essential safeguards or further weaken protection for unborn children.

I urge the Scottish Government and all MSPs to prioritise policies that expand support for women and families, reduce the pressures that lead to abortion, and foster a culture in which every life is welcomed and protected from conception to natural death. Scotland should aspire to be a nation where compassion means standing with both mother and child.

Bishop John Keenan
President of the National Office for Marriage, Family and Life, Bishops’ Conference of Scotland

03Sep

Today the Church celebrates Saint Gregory the Great, Pope and Doctor of the Church, remembered as one of the great pastors and t...

03 Sep, 2026 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

Today the Church celebrates Saint Gregory the Great, Pope and Doctor of the Church, remembered as one of the great pastors and teachers of the Western Church.

Born in Rome around 540, Gregory had a successful public career and became Prefect of Rome while still a young man. He eventually left public life, transformed his family home into a monastery and embraced the monastic life he deeply loved.

His quiet life did not last. Gregory was called into the service of the Church, serving as a papal representative in Constantinople before returning to Rome. In 590, he was elected Pope during a particularly difficult period marked by plague, famine and political instability.

As Pope, Gregory combined practical leadership with extraordinary pastoral care. He organised assistance for the poor, helped those suffering from famine and plague, worked to ransom prisoners and sought peace during the Lombard invasions of Italy.

Gregory also had a profound concern for evangelisation. In 596, he sent Saint Augustine of Canterbury and a group of monks from Rome to bring the Gospel to the Anglo-Saxons in England. Their mission would have an enormous influence on the development of Christianity in Britain.

A gifted preacher and writer, Gregory’s Pastoral Rule became one of the most influential works on Christian leadership and the responsibilities of bishops. He also contributed significantly to the Church’s liturgical life, although the extent of his direct involvement in what later became known as “Gregorian chant” remains debated.

Despite holding one of the highest offices in the Church, Gregory understood Christian leadership fundamentally as service. He famously described himself as “servant of the servants of God” – a title still associated with the papacy today.

Saint Gregory died in 604. Alongside Saints Augustine, Ambrose and Jerome, he is traditionally recognised as one of the four great Doctors of the Western Church.

His life reminds us that true Christian leadership is found not in status or power, but in humble service, faithful teaching and care for those entrusted to us.

🙏 Saint Gregory the Great, pray for us.

03Sep

Gospel

03 Sep, 2026 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

Gospel
Luke 5:1-11
‘They left everything and followed him.’

At that time: The crowd was pressing in on Jesus to hear the word of God. He was standing by the lake of Gennesaret, and he saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat. And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, ‘Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.’ And Simon answered, ‘Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.’ And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. They signalled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, ‘Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.’ For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken, and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, ‘Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.’ And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.

02Sep

We have 89 Caritas pupils who have generously volunteered to steward at our National Pilgrimage Mass on Sunday, if any other sch...

02 Sep, 2026 | Carfin Grotto | BCoS Facebook |

We have 89 Caritas pupils who have generously volunteered to steward at our National Pilgrimage Mass on Sunday, if any other school pupils would be interested then see poster below 👇

02Sep

Holy Mass of Wednesday the Twenty Third Week of Ordinary Time | 09 September 2026

02 Sep, 2026 | Being Catholic | Being Catholic |

Holy Mass of Wednesday the Twenty Third Week of Ordinary Time | 09 September 2026
This music is licensed under one license number: A-623356

02Sep

Gospel

02 Sep, 2026 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

Gospel
Luke 4:38-44
‘I must preach to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose.’

At that time: Jesus arose and left the synagogue and entered Simon’s house. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was ill with a high fever, and they appealed to him on her behalf. And he stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her, and immediately she rose and began to serve them.
Now when the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various diseases brought them to him, and he laid his hands on every one of them and healed them. And demons also came out of many, crying, ‘You are the Son of God!’ But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew that he was the Christ.
And when it was day, he departed and went into a desolate place. And the people sought him and came to him, and would have kept him from leaving them, but he said to them, ‘I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose.’ And he was preaching in the synagogues of Judea.