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

9th September 2026

9 September 2026

Justice & Peace Scotland Statement on UK Measures Against Illegal Israeli Settlements

Justice & Peace Scotland welcomes the announcement by the UK Government of a ban on imports from illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, alongside further sanctions targeting those involved in settlement expansion and settler violence.

We particularly welcome the Government’s recognition that Israel’s occupation of the West Bank is unlawful and that settlement expansion and settler violence are contributing to the displacement of Palestinian communities. Today’s use of economic and diplomatic measures to uphold international law is a positive and long-awaited step towards holding Israel accountable for its repeated breaches of international obligations.

Through our participation in the Holy Land Coordination, we have witnessed the impact of settlement expansion and settler violence first-hand. In 2025, we met Daoud Nassar of the Tent of Nations farm in Bethlehem, whose family has spent decades defending the ownership of their land. The farm is surrounded by Israeli settlements and the family face constant violence, vandalism and repeated attempts to dispossess them. In 2026, in Taybeh, members of the parish of Christ the Redeemer told us of homes and property being attacked and of farmland and olive trees being damaged by settlers in an attempt to drive them from their land. These experiences demonstrate the very real consequences of settlement expansion for Palestinian communities.

Equal rights, security and dignity for Palestinians and Israelis cannot be achieved without accountability and respect for the international legal framework. Measures such as those announced should therefore be encouraged as a means of addressing injustice and helping to break the cycle of violence and loss of life for all who live there.

We continue to call for measures to address conflict that are consistent with the principles of Catholic Social Teaching and the Gospel’s call to nonviolence. Pope Leo XIV has repeatedly emphasised the need for peace founded on justice and respect for the dignity of every person.

The announcement is a hugely welcome and much-needed step, but the UK Government must continue to use all appropriate diplomatic, economic and legal mechanisms to uphold international law and prevent further settlement expansion.

We pray for all people living in the Holy Land and for a future in which Palestinians and Israelis can live with equal rights, security, dignity and lasting peace.

...ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS

Justice & Peace Scotland (https://www.justiceandpeacescotland.org.uk) is a Catholic agency of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland who campaign, educate and advocate on issues relating to international peace, human rights, social justice, and care for creation.
The Holy Land Coordination is an annual meeting of a delegation of European and American bishops in the Holy Land (Palestine, Israel, Jordan), mandated by the Holy See. The delegation visits the region to act in solidarity with the region’s Christian communities and share in the pastoral life of the local Church as it experiences extreme political and social-economic pressure. Bishops are accompanied by church agencies and church-affiliated organisations. Justice & Peace Scotland has participated in HLC 2025 and 2026.
Justice & Peace Scotland are available for further comment and interview: Anne-Marie Richmond, Catholic Social Teaching Engagement Officer: 07789193370, [email protected]
For further information, contact Fr Michael Kane, Director of the Communications and Evangelisation Office. Email: [email protected]

Images:

IMAGE 1 - Depicts Israeli settlements viewed from the Tent of Nations farm, Bethlehem, Palestine. Credit: AM Richmond, Justice & Peace Scotland

IMAGE 2: Cross and Palestinian flag above Christian church, West Bank, Palestine. Credit: Marcin Mazur, CBCEW

8th September 2026

8 September 2026

Proposed Abortion Motion Raises Profound Ethical Concerns

It is deeply troubling to hear that SNP members may be asked to vote on a motion seeking to remove legal protections relating to self-administered abortion in Scotland. Human life possesses inherent dignity and worth from conception until natural death, and any proposal that would further weaken safeguards for unborn children, including abortion up to the point of birth and sex-selective abortion, raises profound moral and ethical concerns.

I urge the SNP, and all parties and politicians, to uphold both compassion for women facing difficult pregnancies and protection for the most vulnerable members of our human family. Rather than expanding access to abortion, Scotland should focus on providing practical support to mothers, children and families, ensuring that no woman feels alone or without alternatives.

What the people of Scotland need now is for government, political parties and MSPs to focus on the priorities that affect daily life: easing the cost-of-living pressures facing households, addressing the housing crisis, strengthening local health services, improving access to high-quality palliative care, and working for peace and reconciliation both at home and abroad. We do not need an extreme abortion law. Scotland deserves better.

Anthony Horan
Director
Catholic Parliamentary Office
Bishops’ Conference of Scotland

...ENDS

Notes for editors

Photo of Anthony Horan, Director of the Scottish Catholic Parliamentary Office: Photo of Anthony Horan
The Scottish Catholic Parliamentary Office works on behalf of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland, by engaging with politicians and policymakers on matters central to the life and mission of the Catholic Church.
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

21Sep

Today the Church celebrates the Feast of Saint Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist, who left behind his former life to follow Jesus

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

Today the Church celebrates the Feast of Saint Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist, who left behind his former life to follow Jesus.

Matthew was a tax collector, working within the Roman system and collecting taxes from his fellow Jews. Tax collectors were widely despised at the time, both because of their association with the occupying authorities and because some were known to profit personally from the taxes they collected.

Yet it was to Matthew that Jesus said simply: “Follow me.”

Matthew got up and followed him.

Soon afterwards, Jesus ate at Matthew’s house with other tax collectors and those regarded as sinners. The Pharisees were scandalised and asked why Jesus would associate with such people.

Jesus replied: “Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do… I desire mercy, not sacrifice. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.”

Matthew’s call is a powerful reminder that Christ does not wait for us to become perfect before calling us. He meets people where they are and invites them into a new life.

Tradition identifies Matthew with the author of the Gospel that bears his name, and he has been honoured by the Church since ancient times as both Apostle and Evangelist.

His life reminds us of the transforming power of Christ’s mercy and of the call each of us receives to leave behind whatever holds us back and follow him more faithfully.

🙏 Saint Matthew, pray for us.

21Sep

Gospel Matthew 9:9-13

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

Gospel Matthew 9:9-13
‘I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.’

At that time: As Jesus passed on from Capernaum, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And he rose and followed him.
And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples. And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, ‘Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?’ But when he heard it, he said, ‘Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means: “I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.” For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.’

20Sep

Holy Mass of the Twenty Fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time | 20 September 2026

20 Sep, 2026 | Being Catholic | Being Catholic |

Holy Mass of the Twenty Fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time | 20 September 2026
This music is licensed under one license number: A-623356

20Sep

𝗟𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗣𝗵𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗗𝗶𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝗮𝗻 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

20 Sep, 2026 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | Being Catholic |

𝗟𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗣𝗵𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗗𝗶𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝗮𝗻 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

At the request of the Holy See, we the Bishops of Scotland have been considering how our diocesan structures can best serve our shared mission in the years ahead.

This is not simply a question of boundaries, administrative adjustments or the sharing of resources more effectively. Primarily it is about how we can better proclaim the Gospel, support our clergy, religious and lay people, and strengthen our parishes and communities for evangelisation.

As part of this discernment, and informed by the diocesan feedback summaries, we considered a range of possible configurations.

The following options are now being presented for further reflection and consultation across all our eight dioceses:

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ 1. Argyll & the Isles and Paisley merge
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ 2. Argyll & the Isles and Glasgow merge
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ 3. Paisley and Galloway merge
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ 4. Galloway and Motherwell merge
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ 5. St. Andrews & Edinburgh and Dunkeld merge
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ 6. Motherwell, Paisley and Galloway merge
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ 7. Maintain the current diocesan structures but with greater sharing and collaboration

These are possibilities for further discernment, not decisions or an agreed map for the future.

As your bishops, we recognise that dioceses are communities of faith with their own histories, relationships and traditions. Any change must therefore be approached with prayer, sensitivity and care for the people and communities involved.

Synodal discernment also asks each of us to look beyond our own self-interests and to consider what will best serve the Catholic Church in Scotland as a whole.

Everyone in every parish is encouraged to make their voice heard when opportunities for consultation are announced locally by their diocesan bishop.

Information packs will be made available in each diocese to support this next phase. These will provide an opportunity to learn more about each of Scotland’s eight dioceses, including important statistics and demographic information, so that the consultation can be informed by a fuller picture of Catholic life across the country. The fruits of the consultation will help us to formulate a concrete proposal to the Holy See.

For completeness, the following options were considered but will 𝗻𝗼𝘁 be taken forward:

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ 1. Split Aberdeen at the Great Glen. Argyll and the Isles to merge with the territory north of the Great Glen and Dunkeld to merge with the territory south of the Great Glen.
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ 2. Dunkeld and Aberdeen merge
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ 3. Argyll & the Isles and Aberdeen merge
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ 4. Argyll & the Isles and Dunkeld merge
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ 5. Glasgow, Motherwell and Paisley merge
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ 6. Glasgow and Paisley merge
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ 7. St. Andrews & Edinburgh and Galloway merge
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ 8. Glasgow, Paisley and Argyll and the Isles merge

Finally, we encourage everyone to actively engage in this process, and to the keep this central question at the heart our prayer and reflection:
𝙃𝙤𝙬 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙬𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙚𝙦𝙪𝙞𝙥 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘾𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙡𝙞𝙘 𝘾𝙝𝙪𝙧𝙘𝙝 𝙞𝙣 𝙎𝙘𝙤𝙩𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣, 𝙚𝙫𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙞𝙘𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙂𝙤𝙙’𝙨 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚?

With every blessing,

+ 𝗟𝗲𝗼 𝗖𝘂𝘀𝗵𝗹𝗲𝘆
Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh

+ 𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗺 𝗡𝗼𝗹𝗮𝗻
Archbishop of Glasgow

+ 𝗝𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗽𝗵 𝗧𝗼𝗮𝗹
Bishop of Motherwell

+ 𝗛𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗚𝗶𝗹𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘁 𝗢𝗦𝗕
Bishop of Aberdeen

+ 𝗝𝗼𝗵𝗻 𝗞𝗲𝗲𝗻𝗮𝗻
Bishop of Paisley

+ 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗠𝗰𝗚𝗲𝗲
Bishop of Argyll and the Isles

+ 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝘀 𝗗𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗮𝗻
Bishop of Galloway

+ 𝗔𝗻𝗱𝗿𝗲𝘄 𝗠𝗰𝗞𝗲𝗻𝘇𝗶𝗲
Bishop of Dunkeld

20Sep

Gospel Matthew 20:1-16

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

Gospel Matthew 20:1-16
‘Do you begrudge my generosity?’

At that time: Jesus told his disciples this parable, ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who went out early in the morning to hire labourers for his vineyard. After agreeing with the labourers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the market-place, and to them he said, “You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.” So they went. Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same. And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing. And he said to them, “Why do you stand here idle all day?” They said to him, “Because no one has hired us.” He said to them, “You go into the vineyard too.”
‘And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, “Call the labourers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.” And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius. Now when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more, but each of them also received a denarius. And on receiving it they grumbled at the master of the house, saying, “These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.” But he replied to one of them, “Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?” So the last will be first, and the first last.’

19Sep

Gospel Luke 8:4-15

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

Gospel Luke 8:4-15
‘That which fell in the good soil, they hold fast the word and bear fruit with patience.’

At that time: When a great crowd was gathering and people from town after town came to him, Jesus said in a parable, ‘A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell along the path and was trampled underfoot, and the birds of the air devoured it. And some fell on the rock, and as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up with it and choked it. And some fell into good soil, and grew, and yielded a hundredfold.’ As he said these things, he called out, ‘He who has ears to hear, let him hear.’
And when his disciples asked him what this parable meant, he said, ‘To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God, but for others they are in parables, so that “seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand”. Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. The ones along the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a while, and in time of testing fall away. And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature. As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.’

18Sep

Photos from Bishops' Conference of Scotland's post

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

Teachers from across Scotland gathered at the Gillis Centre in Edinburgh for a Setting Out on the Road training day. The course marks an important step towards gaining the Catholic Teaching Certificate, enabling them to teach in Catholic schools.

Also pictured are Professor Roisín Coll, Professor of Catholic Education at the University of Glasgow, and James McDevitt, Associate Tutor (both left). We wish all those taking part every success as they continue their formation!

18Sep

Thanks to your support for Missio Scotland, and our PMS partners, a better standard of healthcare is being provided in countries...

18 Sep, 2026 | Missio Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

Thanks to your support for Missio Scotland, and our PMS partners, a better standard of healthcare is being provided in countries such as India!

#MissiosFridayFacts

@followers

18Sep

Holy Mass of the Memorial of Saints Cornelius, Pope, and Cyprian | 18 September 2026

18 Sep, 2026 | Being Catholic | Being Catholic |

Holy Mass of the Memorial of Saints Cornelius, Pope, and Cyprian | 18 September 2026
This music is licensed under one license number: A-623356

18Sep

Gospel Luke 8:1-3

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

Gospel Luke 8:1-3
‘Some women were with them, who provided for them out of their means.’

At that time: Jesus went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. And the Twelve were with him, and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod’s household manager, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their means.