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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

National Family Conference 2026

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

Archive by category: BCoS FacebookReturn
September 2025
One would think that a reputable newspaper such as the Herald would refrain from allowing a public relations consultant making unjustified, spurious and inaccurate criticism of Catholics and Catholic education. Yes indeed public relations in 21st century Scotland!

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Latest newsletter at
https://marriagefamilyandlife.org.uk/newsletter/

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https://www.vatican.va/content/leo-xiv/en/messages/creation/documents/20250630-messaggio-giornata-curacreato.html


MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS POPE LEO XIV FOR THE 10 th WORLD DAY OF PRAYER FOR THE CARE OF CREATION 2025 [1 September 2025] ________________________________
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Our Biblical text for this year is Isaiah 32:14-18. The prophet Isaiah pictured the desolated Creation without peace because of the lack of justice and the broken relationship between God and humankind. This description of devastated cities and wastelands eloquently stresses the fact that human destructive behaviours have a negative impact on the Earth.
Our hope: Creation will find peace when justice is restored.
There is still hope and the expectation for a peaceful Earth.
To hope in a biblical context does not mean to stand still and quiet, but to act, pray, change, and reconcile with Creation and the Creator in unity, metanoia (repentance), and solidarity.

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Pope Leo XIV renews his closeness to the Ukrainian people, appealing for an immediate ceasefire, and prays for the victims of the Catholic school ...
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📢Our new Justice & Peace Scotland Newsletter is here!

This edition includes:
🇵🇸 The Red Line for Gaza Campaign: as the humanitarian situation continues to worsen, stand with us in calling for justice and peace.
🌍 Details of the Season of Creation Conference on Sat 6th September in Stirling.
📸 Highlights from our summer of advocacy events: Together for Sanctuary, Dignity Not Detention, and No To Nuclear Weapons.

Read the full newsletter on our website.

🤍Thank you for your continued support!
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VACANCY: National Director of Marriage, Family & Life Office
Hours: 15 hours per week
Salary: £11,746 per annum
Contract: 2 year with possibility of renewal
Closing Date: 26th September 2025
Applications:
The National Office for Marriage, Family and Life works alongside and is supported by the National Commission for Marriage, Family and Life. They are responsible for the apostolate of the domestic church and promote the teaching and pastoral activity of the Church in marriage, family and life issues. In the context of family life, they support single people, couples and families, as well as the pro-life mission. They draw on the Magisterium of the Church on Marriage and the Family and offer practical support to initiatives in the dioceses of Scotland and on behalf of the Bishops’ Conference. Please forward application letter and CV to [email protected]
Areas for Development:
Working with the Commission, the Office:
1. Develops resources for celebrating the Domestic Church.
2. Develops and supports a national marriage preparation programme.
3. Develops and oversees a programme of enrichment for married couples.
4. Provides resources and referrals to marriage counselling for couples, facilitating a national marriage counselling service.
5. Promotes and develops family-based faith formation programmes for children, adolescents and young adults.
6. Supports families in their vocation, providing resources.
7. Develops a pro-life culture in parishes and facilitates pro-life initiatives.

JOB SPECIFICATION
The successful candidate will work in the following areas:
Communication
 Arrange meetings of National Commission and submit agenda and reports.
 Frequently update the National Commission website (www.marriagefamilyandlife.org.uk).
 Develop a quarterly online newsletter for release in Dec; Mar; June; Sept. Advertise the release of newsletter on website through parish bulletins, diocesan websites and social media; encourage people to subscribe to quarterly newsletters.
 Promote events, such as the World Day for Marriage (2nd Sunday of February); World Children’s Day (last weekend in May); annual Day for Life (3rd Sunday in June); World Day for Grandparents & the Elderly (last Sunday of July).
 Report to the Commission and Bishops’ Conference of Scotland.
Liaison
 Work with Catholic Parliamentary Office (CPO).
 Liaise with associations with shared mission for marriage, family and life: Scottish Catholic Education Service (SCES); Vatican Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life; Council of the Bishops' Conferences of Europe (CCEE).
Support
 Support National Commission permanent working groups.
 Support and raise awareness of diocesan initiatives.
 Support provision of Marriage Counselling services in every diocese.
 Support Catholic families, providing resources.
Organisation of National Events
 Annual Mass at National Marian Shrine in Carfin on the World Day for Grandparents & the Elderly.
 Annual National Conference on Family.

PERSON SPECIFICATION
The successful candidate will have:
 Lived experience of the Church and its pastoral care of family and life issues.
 Ability to be highly motivated, good team player, but capable of working independently.
 Professional and friendly manner.
 Positive and pro-active outlook.
 Good interpersonal, communication and presentational skills.
 Ability to work with and motivate others.
 Organisational and time management skills with the ability to take responsibility, innovate and problem solve.
 Computer literacy with an excellent working knowledge of Microsoft packages.
 Familiarity with and ability to use social media and other communication methods, including online newsletters.
 Ability to maintain a high level of confidentiality and discretion at all times.
 Willingness to travel and to work flexibly, including some evenings and weekends.

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August 2025



Whithorn Pilgrimage 2025

Unfortunately, the weather conditions forecast for the Whithorn Pilgrimage on Sunday 31 August are not safe for Mass to be celebrated on the beach.

Instead, two Masses will be celebrated by Bishop Frank Dougan in the Church of St Martin and St Ninian in Whithorn town at 3 pm and at 4 pm. Those travelling by registered coaches will be allocated a Mass time and information will be shared on the journey.

Those travelling by their own transport can choose to attend either Mass.

We regret the inconvenience, but the safety of those participating is our priority. With these measures in place, the pilgrimage can still go ahead.
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Why I’m CatholicDespite hardships, I have always felt at home in the Church, and would answer any difficulty along with Peter, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” (John 6:68). August 28, 2025 Dr. R. Jared Staudt The Dispatch 12 Print (Photo: koldunova_anna/us.fotoli...
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https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-jeanne-jugan/


Canonized in 2009, Saint Jeanne Jugan had a history of helping the elderly and the poor. She founded the Little Sisters of the Poor to help her with her work, and by the time of her death the community numbered 2400 women.
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