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

Click here to visit the Jubilee 2025 website

The Jubilee Prayer

Father in heaven,

may the faith you have given us

in your son, Jesus Christ, our brother,

and the flame of charity enkindled in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, reawaken in us the blessed hope for the coming of your Kingdom.

May your grace transform us into tireless cultivators of the seeds of the Gospel.

May those seeds transform from within both humanity and the whole cosmos in the sure expectation of a new heaven and a new earth,

when, with the powers of Evil vanquished,

your glory will shine eternally.

May the grace of the Jubilee reawaken in us, Pilgrims of Hope, a yearning for the treasures of heaven. May that same grace spread the joy and peace of our Redeemer throughout the earth.

To you our God, eternally blessed, be glory and praise for ever.

Amen

At Christmas, Christians across Scotland gathered around the crib to contemplate the life of a vulnerable child; God entering our world as a baby in need of care, protection and love. Christmas places fragile human life at the centre of everything.

It is therefore unsettling that this season saw the first person in Scotland charged under the new so-called “buffer zone” law in Scotland; a law the Church believes curtails Scotland’s commitment to freedom of expression and conscience, and restricts critical voices from democratic debate in the public square.

The Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) (Scotland) Act 2024 establishes “buffer zones” of up to 200 metres around abortion facilities — currently around 30 locations across Scotland. Within those zones, any conduct deemed to “influence” a decision about abortion may be criminalised. That vague description should trouble anyone who values legal clarity or free expression.

The Catholic Church does not condone harassment or intimidation, but that was not the intention of this law. The Church has been clear: harassment, intimidation and obstruction are wrong and unacceptable. But Scotland already has robust laws to deal with harassment, public disorder and threatening behaviour and it is telling that, when consulted on the proposed new law, Police Scotland did not ask for more powers, and went as far to state in written evidence to Parliament that, “existing powers and offences are sufficient to address any unlawful behaviour in the vicinity of healthcare premises.” When parliaments introduce criminal offences where existing law is already sufficient, questions should be raised and alarm bells ring.

We oppose this law because it is disproportionate and undemocratic. It represents state overreach and curtails basic freedoms. The Church would similarly oppose legislation mandating buffer zones outside nuclear weapons facilities or refugee detention centres. This should concern every Scottish citizen, regardless of their views on abortion.

As the Parliamentary Officer for the Catholic Church in Scotland pointed out, women experiencing crisis pregnancies may be “denied the opportunity to freely speak to people and organisations who may be able to help them.” A law supposedly designed to protect choice risks doing the opposite — eliminating one side of a conversation and one set of choices altogether.

Even more troubling is what the legislation anticipates. Official documentation accompanying the Act acknowledges that the law envisages criminalising “praying audibly” and “silent vigils."

This is unprecedented in modern Scotland, and it is no wonder it has raised eyebrows around the world, with concerns raised around Scotland’s commitment to human rights and freedom of expression and religion.

The implications go further. The Act extends to private homes within designated zones. A pro-life poster displayed in a window, a conversation overheard, a prayer said by a window; all could, in principle, fall within the scope of criminal sanction. When asked directly whether praying by a window in your own home could constitute an offence, Gillian Mackay, the Scottish Green Party MSP, who spearheaded the legislation, replied: “That depends on who’s passing the window.” That sends a chill down the spine of anyone who cares about civil liberties. Criminal law that depends on the perception of a passer-by is certainly not the hallmark of a free Scottish society.

The law also potentially criminalises a person standing alone in a buffer zone without any visible expression of protest, but who is deemed by others to be offering a silent pro-life inspired prayer. Even Police Scotland expressed unease. Superintendent Gerry Corrigan told Parliament that policing thought is an area they “would stay clear of,” adding: “I do not think we could go down the road of asking people what they are thinking or what their thoughts are. That feels really uncomfortable.” Yet, this is the territory into which Scottish law now ventures. Bishop John Keenan, President of the Bishops’ Conference, noted that “none of the arguments made were able to get around the basic premise that Police Scotland had never asked for more powers.” and that the law is “draconian” and “unnecessary,” particularly considering its impact on people of faith.

Some parliamentarians attempted to mitigate the effects of the law— proposing a reasonableness defence, or exemptions for chaplains who might be criminalised for pastoral conversations. All amendments were rejected or withdrawn.

We support all those who, motivated by conscience and compassion, stand up for the right to life. It cannot be a crime to give our voice and our prayers to the unborn.

Christmas is the message that every human life has infinite dignity from its beginning. That truth is not confined to private thoughts. A society confident in its values does not fear opposing voices. It does not criminalise silent prayer. It does not ask its police or judges to peer into the minds of its citizens.

Scotland’s buffer zones law represents a profound shift in the relationship between the State and the individual — one that restricts free speech, free expression and freedom of religion in ways that should concern us all.

As we look to the child in the manger this Christmas and Epiphany, we are reminded that babies do not have a voice of their own. It is a shame that the State has now also curtailed the voices of ordinary citizens who advocate for them within its borders.

The Catholic Bishops of Scotland
6th January 2026

News from the Commissions and Agencies

Archive by category: BCoS FacebookReturn

August 2024

11Aug

From Swiss Guard to priest: ‘Service with humility’ - Vatican News

11 Aug, 2024 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2024-08/from-swiss-guard-to-priest-service-humility.html

In an interview with Vatican News, 34-year-old Didier Grandjean recalls his journey from wearing the uniform of the Pontifical Swiss Guard to the ...

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09Aug

10 quotes from Edith Stein on what it means to be a woman

09 Aug, 2024 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/amp/news/258591/10-quotes-from-edith-stein-on-what-it-means-to-be-a-woman

On Aug. 9 the Catholic Church celebrates the life of philosopher, writer, and religious sister St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, commonly known as Edith Stein.

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09Aug

Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross | Franciscan Media

09 Aug, 2024 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-teresa-benedicta-of-the-cross/

The story of Teresa Benedicta of the Cross begins with her life as Edith Stein, a noted philosopher raised in the Jewish faith. Her studies led Edith to the Catholic Church and to becoming a Carmelite nun. She died in the gas chambers of Auschwitz in 1942.

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08Aug

Saint Dominic | Franciscan Media

08 Aug, 2024 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-dominic/

Saint Dominic became aware that the preacher had to practice what he preached and connect with the people of God. He and a few Cistercians formed what was the beginning of the Order of Preachers, better known as the Dominicans.

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08Aug

Almost aborted, Grammy winner Alicia Keys' mom chose life: 'I am so grateful to her for choosing me'

08 Aug, 2024 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

Alicia Keys, renowned singer and pianist and 16 time Grammy winner wouldn't be here had her mother stuck to her original plan of having an abortion.

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08Aug

Season of Creation Zoom Event: To hope and act with Creation - rooted in Laudato Si' and Laudate Deum

08 Aug, 2024 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

Season of Creation Zoom Event: To hope and act with Creation - rooted in Laudato Si' and Laudate Deum
The Care of Creation Office of the Bishops’ Conference has organised this session to enable us to discern how the insights of Pope Francis' 2015 encyclical Laudato Si' and his 2023 apostolic exhortation Laudate Deum can lead us to hope and act with creation.
Our companion for the session is Fr Josh Kureethadam who was the Coordinator of the Sector of “Ecology” at the Vatican Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development from 2017-2023, where he continues to serve as a consultant. Fr Josh will share not only a sense of awe and wonder before the grandeur and majesty of the universe, but also a deep sense of concern for the increasingly precarious state of our common planetary home.
The session is on Thursday 19th September - 7:00 - 8:30pm and you can register at: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0scO2hrzwtE9E8gDiyJLbQZJ1rbdLXja36
4. Registration - Confirmation Email.
Hello {First Name} {Second Name},

Thank you for registering for To hope and act with Creation - rooted in Laudato Si and Laudate Deum. You can find information about this meeting below.

To hope and act with Creation - rooted in Laudato Si and Laudate Deum
Date & Time Sep 19, 2024 07:00 PM London
Meeting ID 991 7491 7795

Format for the session:
6.45 - Waiting Room is opened.
7.00 - Welcome and Opening Prayer.
7.10 - Presentation by Fr Josh Kureethadam.
7.40 - Moderated Q&A
8.25 - Thanks and Closing Prayer

Our session is promoted by the Bishops' Conference of Scotland's Care of Creation Office and co-hosted with - Eco Congregation Scotland, Justice and Peace Scotland, Laudato Si Animators - Scotland, Open House Magazine, Pax Christi Scotland, Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund, and the Scottish Laity Network.

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05Aug

DUNKELD PREPARES TO WELCOME ITS NEW BISHOP – CANON ANDREW MCKENZIE

05 Aug, 2024 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

DUNKELD PREPARES TO WELCOME ITS NEW BISHOP – CANON ANDREW MCKENZIE
Please pray for Bishop elect Andrew McKenzie who will be ordained on Saturday 10th August in St Andrew’s Cathedral Dundee 🙏

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05Aug

I was delighted by yesterday's inspired letter from Pope Francis on "the Role of Literature in Formation"

05 Aug, 2024 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

I was delighted by yesterday's inspired letter from Pope Francis on "the Role of Literature in Formation". He quotes C.S. Lewis, Proust and Borges, among others, in analysing the value of literature. The late Fr Michael Gallagher S.J. would have concurred, I'm sure. I hope that those who lead houses of religious formation are also inspired.

https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2024/08/04/0600/01218.html

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05Aug

Holy See ‘deplores’ offence to Christians in Opening Ceremony - Vatican News

05 Aug, 2024 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2024-08/holy-see-deplores-offence-to-christians-in-opening-ceremony.html

The Holy See expresses sadness over some of the scenes in the opening ceremony of this year’s Olympic Games, saying that “at a prestigious event where ...

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04Aug

Endurance Test: Scott Hahn Reflects on the Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

04 Aug, 2024 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

https://stpaulcenter.com/audio/sunday-bible-reflections/endurance-test-scott-hahn-reflects-on-the-eighteenth-sunday-in-ordinary-time/

The journey of discipleship is a lifelong exodus from the slavery of sin and death to the holiness of truth on Mount Zion, the promised land of eternal life.The road can get rough. And when it does, we can be tempted to complain like the Israelites in this week’s First Reading.We have to s

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