• oban1
  • Slider1
  • Slider1
  • paisley1
  • edinburgh2
  • edinburgh1
  • fortrose1
  • ayr1
  • ayr2
  • glasgow1

The Bishops' Conference of Scotland

24th February 2026


24 February 2026

Statement on the Children (Withdrawal from Religious Education and Amendment of UNCRC Compatibility Duty) (Scotland) Bill

The Bishops thank the Scottish Catholic Education Service (SCES) and the Scottish Catholic Parliamentary Office (SCPO) for the considerable work undertaken to present the Church’s strongly held views on this issue.

We recognise a number of important protections which have been secured. Religious Education remains a central part of the curriculum and will continue to be an entitlement for all pupils. In Catholic schools, Religious Education will remain within the authority of the Bishops’ Conference. The Scottish Government has acknowledged the intrinsic nature of Religious Education and Religious Observance in Catholic schools and, despite these being de-coupled in law, has committed to respecting and continuing both. The Government has also committed to involving SCES in drafting the statutory guidance. Furthermore, the retention of the term “Religious Instruction” in law ensures that the Religious Character of Catholic schools is not reduced solely to classroom learning.


However, we are deeply concerned by the decision to grant Scottish Ministers the power to introduce regulations that would permit young people to withdraw from religious observance without parental involvement. Article 14 of the UNCRC is often quoted selectively, overlooking its clear emphasis on the essential role of parents in a child’s religious upbringing. This narrative risks creating a false divide between children’s rights and parental responsibilities. Any future legislation must uphold the UNCRC’s intention to support families, not diminish their role.

We remain deeply concerned at the official policy of the Scottish Greens to impose a fully secular model of state education – an approach that would strip away Scotland’s denominational schools entirely.
We will work firmly and constructively with the Scottish Government to ensure that Catholic schools continue to be protected in law and safeguarded for the communities they serve.


ENDS

Contact:
Media Office

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

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.

Being Catholic TV

Members of The Bishops' Conference of Scotland

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

News from the Commissions and Agencies

Archive by category: BCoS FacebookReturn
July 2024
5 July 2024

Dear Bishop Kenneth,

Greetings from Scotland! I am aware that the Bishops of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church, including yourself, are meeting in Synod at this time.

On the occasion of your meeting, may I ask you kindly to communicate to His Beatitude Sviatoslav and to all the Bishop Members of the Synod the warm fraternal greetings of the Roman Catholic Bishops of Scotland. We wish to assure you of our continuing prayerful solidarity with your Church and its faithful, and indeed with all the people of Ukraine, during this time of suffering. We also renew our willingness to assist you in any way we can as you minister to the Greek-Catholic faithful in Scotland.

Yours fraternally in Christ,



+Hugh Gilbert OSB
Bishop of Aberdeen,
President of the Bishops Conference of Scotland



(Feed generated with FetchRSS)
Read More
https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2024-07/schedule-pope-journey-indoniesia-papua-timor-leste-singapore.html


Pope Francis' complete schedule for his journey to Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste and Singapore is released.

(Feed generated with FetchRSS)
Read More
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NCsCkM_23c
This is a link to a short film by the Bishops’ Conference of Ireland on the care of persons in the critical and terminal phase of life, inspired by the document “Samaritanus bonus” from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith: Through the Valley


A short film on the care of persons in the critical and terminal phase of life inspired by the document “Samaritanus bonus” from the Congregation for the Doc...

(Feed generated with FetchRSS)
Read More
Please pray for all priests and deacons celebrating their anniversaries at this time 🙏



(Feed generated with FetchRSS)
Read More
https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-thomas/


We don’t know a lot about Saint Thomas the Apostle, but tradition has it that he traveled to and preached the gospel in India, where he was eventually martyred. His name means “twin,” and due to his skepticism, he is also known as “Doubting Thomas.”

(Feed generated with FetchRSS)
Read More
https://www.vaticannews.va/en/world/news/2024-06/ukraine-mourning-after-attack-on-southern-town.html


Local authorities in Ukraine declared a day of mourning on Sunday after Russian missiles reportedly slammed into a town in southern Ukraine, killing ...

(Feed generated with FetchRSS)
Read More
https://www.vaticannews.va/en/church/news/2024-07/sudan-bishops-statement-appeal-peace-war-humanitarian-crisis.html


In a statement released following the meeting of the Sudan Catholic Bishops‘ Conference (SCBC), the bishops sound the alarm about “the disbelieving ...

(Feed generated with FetchRSS)
Read More



Pope Francis presides at an Ordinary Consistory of Cardinals, which approved the canonization of 15 people, including Blessed Carlo Acutis, the first ...

(Feed generated with FetchRSS)
Read More
Page 160 of 188 [160]