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

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: Being CatholicReturn
February 2026
Holy Mass of the Sixth Sunday of Ordinary Time | 15 February 2026
This music is licensed under one license number: A-623356

Read More
Holy Mass of the Memorial of Saints Cyril and Methodius | 14 February 2026
This music is licensed under one license number: A-623356

Read More
Holy Mass of Friday of the Fifth Week of Ordinary Time | 13 February 2026
This music is licensed under one license number: A-623356

Read More
Holy Mass of Thursday of the Fifth Week of Ordinary Time | 12 February 2026
This music is licensed under one license number: A-623356

Read More
Holy Mass of the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes | 11 February 2026
This music is licensed under one license number: A-623356

Read More
Holy Mass of the Memorial of Saint Scholastica | 10 February 2026
This music is licensed under one license number: A-623356

Read More
In this reflection for the Fifth Sunday of the Year, Bishop Joseph Toal prays the Angelus and speaks from St Bartholomew’s Church in Townhead, Coatbridge, where he has just celebrated the Sacrament of Confirmation.

Marking the World Day of Marriage, Bishop Toal reflects on the importance of marriage and family life in the Church and in society, asking the intercession of St Joseph for married couples and for those preparing to commit their lives in the Sacrament of Matrimony.

He also addresses the forthcoming assisted dying legislation in Scotland, encouraging Catholics to remain informed, engaged, and faithful to the Church’s teaching on the dignity and sanctity of human life.

As Lent approaches, Bishop Toal invites us to examine our relationship with God, to resist the pull toward self-determination, and to place our lives more fully in the Lord’s hands.

Read More
Today is the World Day for Marriage.

This is a day we especially pray for married couples throughout the country. We exhort them to continue fostering the love of God in their union and their families. We pray for marriages in crisis that the sacrificial love of Christ may serve as a balm and an example. We pray that married couples may know their supernatural role in the world and in the Church as witnesses of the Trinity.

Read More
Holy Mass of the Fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time | 08 February 2026
This music is licensed under one license number: A-623356

Read More
Page 3 of 11 [3]