The Bishops' Conference of Scotland

Press Release

Action on Exploitation with Support for New Prostitution Bill

For Immediate Release
28 January 2026

Bishops’ Conference Calls for Action on Exploitation with Support for New Prostitution Bill

The Bishops’ Conference of Scotland has written to the First Minister of Scotland to express the Church’s support for the Prostitution (Offences and Support) (Scotland) Bill, currently before the Scottish Parliament.

In the letter, the Bishops’ Conference describes the Bill, tabled by independent MSP, Ash Regan, as “a vital step toward protecting some of the most vulnerable individuals in our society and addressing the systemic harms associated with prostitution in Scotland.”

Protecting Victims and Challenging Demand

The Bill’s central purpose—to reduce prostitution and tackle exploitation, coercion, and harm—is described as both compelling and necessary.

It proposes a new offence for the purchase of sexual acts, while repealing outdated laws that historically penalised those who were themselves victims. The Bill would also quash previous convictions under section 46 of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982, removing what Bishop Keenan calls a “significant barrier” to rebuilding lives.

The Bishops’ Conference supports the Bill’s adoption of a “challenging demand” model, shifting criminal responsibility away from individuals exploited through prostitution—overwhelmingly women and girls—and onto the buyers who fuel the commercial sex market. This model reflects international best practice and aligns with Scotland’s wider commitments to tackling violence against women and girls.

Addressing Vulnerability and Trauma

The letter highlights the deep vulnerabilities that underpin involvement in prostitution. Many affected individuals have experienced childhood abuse, care experience, grooming, and trauma, with young people—particularly those leaving care—at high risk of exploitation. Technology has intensified these risks, expanding opportunities for manipulation.

Human Trafficking Concerns

The Bishops’ Conference also emphasises the Bill’s relevance to combatting human trafficking for sexual exploitation, a significant and documented issue in Scotland. International evidence links reductions in trafficking to demand‑reduction legislation. Bishop Brian McGee, Vice‑President of the Bishops’ Conference, has contributed insight from his work with the Santa Marta Group, an international alliance dedicated to ending human trafficking. He believes the Bill reflects “the realities identified by trafficked people, law enforcement, and Church agencies around the world.”

Right to Support

A key component of the proposed legislation is the creation of a statutory right to support for anyone currently or previously involved in prostitution. This includes access to accommodation, financial aid, healthcare, and counselling—supports deemed essential for enabling safe and sustainable exits from prostitution.

Call for Political Leadership

Acknowledging differing political opinions, and expecting Parliament to provide considerable scrutiny from which the Bill can benefit, the letter urges the Scottish Government to show leadership by backing the Bill, underscoring its potential to protect vulnerable women and girls, prevent trafficking, and advance equality.

ENDS

Contact:
Media Office

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

< READ LETTER

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

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News from the Commissions and Agencies

Archive by category: BCoS FacebookReturn

January 2026

24Jan

Saint Francis de Sales was born into a noble family in Savoy and was originally destined for a career in law and public life

24 Jan, 2026 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

Saint Francis de Sales was born into a noble family in Savoy and was originally destined for a career in law and public life. After studying law at Padua and earning his doctorate, he surprised his family by choosing the priesthood instead. Though his father strongly opposed this decision, Francis won him over through patience, humility and gentle persistence.

Ordained a priest, Francis was sent to minister in Geneva, a region deeply affected by Calvinism. Through preaching and the simple pamphlets he wrote to explain the Catholic faith, he helped bring many people back to the Church. His approach was marked not by argument, but by kindness and clarity.

At thirty five, he became Bishop of Geneva. He remained close to his people, preaching often, hearing confessions and teaching the faith, especially to children. His gentleness became his hallmark, summed up in his famous insight that kindness wins hearts more effectively than harshness.

Saint Francis de Sales is best known for his spiritual writings, especially Introduction to the Devout Life, in which he insists that holiness is not reserved for monks and nuns, but is possible in every state of life. For this reason, he is honoured as the patron saint of the Catholic press.

Alongside Saint Jane Frances de Chantal, he also founded the Order of the Visitation, whose charism continues to shape the Church today.

Saint Francis de Sales, pray for us.

24Jan

Gospel of the day (Mark 3:20-21)

24 Jan, 2026 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

Gospel of the day (Mark 3:20-21)

At that time: Jesus went home, and the crowd gathered again, so that they could not even eat. And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for they were saying, ‘He is out of his mind.’

23Jan

A Fatal Flaw: Why Scotland's Assisted Suicide Bill is Falling Apart

23 Jan, 2026 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

A Fatal Flaw: Why Scotland's Assisted Suicide Bill is Falling Apart

Scotland is on the brink of passing one of the most consequential laws in its history — yet the ground beneath the proposed assisted suicide bill is visibly crumbling.

In recent weeks, MSPs who previously backed the legislation have expressed significant reservations, warning that the bill cannot protect vulnerable people from pressure to end their lives prematurely. Audrey Nicoll, a former police officer with 31 years’ experience, now says she will vote against the law because it exposes vulnerable Scots to “coercion and pressure…in ways which may be subtle and difficult to enunciate.”

Her reversal is not an isolated case. Other MSPs admit they can no longer support the bill in its current form, raising doubts about whether it can survive the final vote.

Their concerns are well‑founded. Key safeguards have already been rejected or removed. Amendments requiring doctors to receive specialist training in detecting coercion or ensuring that palliative or social care is offered before proceeding were dismissed during committee scrutiny. Even protections for healthcare workers who object on moral grounds cannot remain in the bill, because they fall under UK‑wide law and will need to be fixed after the Bill passes. This means that MSPs will be asked to vote blindfolded on a matter of life and death and then hand the reins to Westminster to finish the job. Labour MSP Michael Marra said this significant setback effectively “holes the bill below the waterline.”

Worse still, experience abroad shows that eligibility criteria tend to expand once assisted suicide is legalised. In Canada, what began as a narrow system for the terminally ill has widened dramatically, with those suffering only mental health conditions set to qualify next year. Audrey Nicoll warns that such “gradual broadening” is a real and foreseeable risk. Scotland would not be immune.

Supporters of the bill claim Scotland must show compassion. They are right — just not in the way they imagine. Compassion means ensuring people have access to excellent palliative care, emotional support, and a dignified death. It does not mean constructing a hurried, legally unstable system of state-assisted suicide that even its former advocates no longer trust to protect the vulnerable.

When a law dealing with irreversible decisions is rushed, weakened, and riddled with unanswered questions, the responsible course is clear: stop. Scotland should reject this dangerous bill and insist on a system that protects life, safeguards the vulnerable, and upholds the highest ethical and legal standards.

Anthony Horan, Director, Catholic Parliamentary Office for Scotland

23Jan

Gospel of the day (Mark 3:13-19)

23 Jan, 2026 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

Gospel of the day (Mark 3:13-19)

At that time: Jesus went up on the mountain and called to him those whom he desired, and they came to him. And he appointed twelve, whom he also named Apostles, so that they might be with him, and he might send them out to preach, and have authority to cast out demons. He appointed the Twelve: Simon, to whom he gave the name Peter; James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, to whom he gave the name Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder; Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

22Jan

Photos from Bishops' Conference of Scotland's post

22 Jan, 2026 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

Today, Bishop Joseph Toal of the Diocese of Motherwell visited the Dysart Carmel Sisters, accompanied by four recently ordained priests and Deacon Kieran, who will be ordained to the priesthood later this year.

Together they celebrated Holy Mass in their chapel before spending time with the sisters in the community room.

The sisters spoke of the great joy it was to meet young priests so cheerfully dedicated to their ministry, and they continue to pray for them, asking God to bless Scotland with many faithful and generous priests.

22Jan

In a message to Catholic media gathered in Lourdes, Pope Leo XIV has called on communicators to be voices of peace, reconciliati...

22 Jan, 2026 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

In a message to Catholic media gathered in Lourdes, Pope Leo XIV has called on communicators to be voices of peace, reconciliation, and compassion in a divided world.

Addressing journalists at the Days of St Francis de Sales, the Holy Father urged Catholic media to amplify the voices of those who suffer, those on the margins, and those quietly working for peace. He encouraged a form of communication that “disarms hearts” and resists hatred, fanaticism, and polarisation.

Pope Leo XIV also reflected on the challenges and opportunities presented by artificial intelligence, reminding communicators of the enduring importance of truth, human relationships, and words that heal rather than wound.

Highlighting the witness of Father Jacques Hamel, the French priest killed in 2016, the Pope pointed to dialogue, closeness, and respect as essential foundations for Christian communication today.

Catholic media, he said, are called to be artisans of words that unite, restore dignity, and bring hope to a fractured world.

📸 Sanctuaire Notre-Dame de Lourdes

22Jan

Photos from Bishops' Conference of Scotland's post

22 Jan, 2026 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

Today, Pope Leo XIV received Marcello Semeraro, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, and authorised him to promulgate a series of decrees concerning future beatifications and new declarations of heroic virtue.

The Holy Father approved decrees recognising the martyrdom of Fr Augusto Rafael Ramírez Monasterio, a priest of the Order of Friars Minor, and a miracle attributed to the intercession of Sr Maria Ignazia Isacchi, founder of the Congregation of the Ursulines of the Sacred Heart of Jesus of Asola. As a result, both will be proclaimed Blessed.

Fr Augusto Rafael Ramírez Monasterio
Fr Augusto Rafael Ramírez Monasterio was born in Guatemala City on 5 November 1937 into a large and devout Catholic family. Having discerned a religious vocation, he began his Franciscan novitiate in Jumilla, Spain, and after completing studies in philosophy and theology was ordained a priest on 18 June 1967.

In 1978 he became guardian and parish priest of San Francisco el Grande in Antigua, Guatemala, where he dedicated himself to parish life and to the poor and defenceless during the country’s civil war. Arrested on 2 June 1983, he was tortured and later released, but remained under surveillance and received repeated death threats. On 7 November 1983 he was seized again by soldiers and killed during a transfer to the outskirts of the city. The decree recognises that he was killed out of hatred for the faith.

Sr Maria Ignazia Isacchi
Maria Ignazia Isacchi, born Angela Caterina and known as Ancilla, was born on 8 May 1857 in Stezzano, in the Italian province of Bergamo. She entered the Ursuline Sisters of Somasca just after the age of twenty and was later elected Superior General.

She transferred the motherhouse to Asola and continued to lead the institute there until 1924, when poor health forced her resignation. She was nevertheless named Superior General for life ad honorem. She died on 19 August 1934 in Seriate and was declared Venerable in 2022.

The miracle attributed to her intercession concerns the healing in 1950 of Sister Maria Assunta Zappella, who suffered from severe abdominal pain caused by enterocolitis of probable tubercular origin. At the end of a novena, the sister experienced a sudden improvement. Medical examinations the following day showed a regression of the illness, and doctors noted an unexpected and complete recovery within a short time.

22Jan

Photos from Bishops' Conference of Scotland's post

22 Jan, 2026 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

On 20 January, a WYD Seoul 2027 Logo Sculpture Blessing Ceremony took place at Myeongdong Cathedral, marking an important step in the journey towards World Youth Day 2027. World Youth Day is an international gathering of young people from across the world, founded by St John Paul II in 1985, and celebrated with the Pope every few years in a different host country. It brings young people together for prayer, catechesis, cultural exchange, and joyful witness, helping them to deepen their faith, encounter Christ, and discover their vocation within the life of the Church.

The ceremony featured logo sculptures engraved with the names of dioceses from across Korea. The sculptures were designed by youth volunteer Jung Hoon Cho, also known as Maristella, and created using 100 percent recyclable materials. This reflects the ongoing emphasis during WYD preparation on care for creation and responsibility for the world entrusted to us.

Alongside the blessing ceremony, the domestic pilgrimage of the World Youth Day symbols officially began. The WYD Cross and Marian Icon will journey through dioceses across Korea, beginning on 21 January in the Diocese of Wonju. The symbols will travel through fifteen dioceses nationwide before returning to the Archdiocese of Seoul in June 2027, inviting prayer, reflection, and unity as the Church prepares to welcome young people from around the world.

22Jan

Gospel of the day (Mark 3:7-12)

22 Jan, 2026 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

Gospel of the day (Mark 3:7-12)

At that time: Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the sea, and a great crowd followed, from Galilee and Judea and Jerusalem and Idumea and from beyond the Jordan and from around Tyre and Sidon. When the great crowd heard all that he was doing, they came to him. And he told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, lest they crush him, for he had healed many, so that all who had diseases pressed around him to touch him. And whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, ‘You are the Son of God.’ And he strictly ordered them not to make him known.

21Jan

Lay Ministers in the Archdiocese of St Andrews & Edinburgh went on pilgrimage to the historic city of Dunfermline this week

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

Lay Ministers in the Archdiocese of St Andrews & Edinburgh went on pilgrimage to the historic city of Dunfermline this week.

From left:
▪ Carol Chamberlain (St Kentigern’s Academy, Blackburn)
▪ Miriam Reynolds (St Thomas of Aquin’s, Edinburgh)
▪ Angela Cheney (St Columba’s High, Dunfermline)
▪ Sr Mary Benedicta RSM (Lay Co-ordinator)
▪ Margaret Russell (Sinclair Academy, Winchburgh)

The event was led by Sr Mary Benedicta RSM, Lay Co-ordinator for the Archdiocese. She said: “The lay ministers grew in collegiality and friendship, sharing ideas about their schools, their faith, and building a community together in their special ministry at our Catholic secondary schools.”

Lay Ministers help spread the good news of Jesus Christ at Catholic high schools in the Archdiocese by working with school chaplains to support the faith journey of students and staff.