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.

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

News from the Commissions and Agencies

Archive by category: BCoS FacebookReturn

September 2024

25Sep

Pope: Situation in Lebanon 'unacceptable,' escalation must be avoided - Vatican News

25 Sep, 2024 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

Pope Francis has made a heartfelt appeal against escalation in Lebanon, calling the volatile situation 'unacceptable' and praying for all who are suffering from war.

Pope Francis makes a heartfelt appeal against escalation in Lebanon, calling the volatile situation 'unacceptable' and praying for all who are ...

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24Sep

But I feel that the greatest destroyer of peace today is abortion, because it is a war against the child, a direct killing of th...

24 Sep, 2024 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

But I feel that the greatest destroyer of peace today is abortion, because it is a war against the child, a direct killing of the innocent child, murder by the mother herself. And if we accept that a mother can kill even her own child, how can we tell other people not to kill one another? How do we persuade a woman not to have an abortion? As always, we must persuade her with love and we remind ourselves that love means to be willing to give until it hurts. Jesus gave even His life to love us. So, the mother who is thinking of abortion, should be helped to love, that is, to give until it hurts her plans, or her free time, to respect the life of her child. The father of that child, whoever he is, must also give until it hurts.

By abortion, the mother does not learn to love, but kills even her own child to solve her problems. And, by abortion, that father is told that he does not have to take any responsibility at all for the child he has brought into the world. The father is likely to put other women into the same trouble. So abortion just leads to more abortion. Any country that accepts abortion is not teaching its people to love, but to use any violence to get what they want. This is why the greatest destroyer of love and peace is abortion.
Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta

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24Sep

Bishop John Keenan, Bishop of Paisley and spokesperson for the Bishops’ Conference on life issues said:

24 Sep, 2024 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

Bishop John Keenan, Bishop of Paisley and spokesperson for the Bishops’ Conference on life issues said:

“This is a chilling day for fundamental freedoms, including our basic right as citizens in Scotland to manifest our beliefs in public, religious or otherwise.

“None of the arguments made were able to get around the basic premise that Police Scotland had never asked for more powers and even told the Parliament they were “really uncomfortable” with the bewildering suggestion of having to police people’s thoughts under the new law.

“The Bishops’ Conference of Scotland condemns all harassment and intimidation of people but continues to note the poor case made that this sort of behaviour was in any way the ethos of Scottish vigils, and endorses the view of Police Scotland, that there are already ample laws in place to deal with such behaviour. This law is certainly unnecessary in terms of public order and will disproportionately affect citizens of faith.”

Bishop Keenan added: “While we commend the one MSP who was prepared to recognise and call out the injustice of this draconian law which now criminalises citizen’s thoughts and makes it illegal to pray in certain parts of the country, it is concerning that there was only one.”

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23Sep

Pakistan: Christian woman sentenced to death for blasphemy - Vatican News

23 Sep, 2024 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/world/news/2024-09/pakistan-blasphemy-death-sentence-christian-woman-whatsapp.html

According to the judges, Shagufta Kiran shared an offensive message against Islam on WhatsApp. The woman, currently imprisoned in Rawalpindi, was ...

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23Sep

https://rcpolitics.org/ Praying to become illegal in parts of Scotland as new buffer zone law comes into force

23 Sep, 2024 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

https://rcpolitics.org/ Praying to become illegal in parts of Scotland as new buffer zone law comes into force

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23Sep

We have relaunched our website

23 Sep, 2024 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

We have relaunched our website. Includes news from our commissions and agencies, Catholic Scotland info, Bishops’ roles, links to all dioceses, reports and more. Visit www.bcos.org.uk

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23Sep

Saint Pio of Pietrelcina | Franciscan Media

23 Sep, 2024 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

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

Saint Pio of Pietrelcina, popularly known as Padre Pio, grew up in southern Italy. At the age of 15, he joined the Capuchins and was ordained in 1910. In 1918 he received the stigmata, the markings of the crucified Jesus, which he then bore for the next 50 years.

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22Sep

Please pray for Mgr. Henry Docherty

22 Sep, 2024 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

Please pray for Mgr. Henry Docherty, former secretary general of the Bishops' Conference of Scotland, who died this morning. May he rest in peace.

It is with deep regret that we have to advise you of the death of Monsignor Henry Docherty, who passed away this morning in Summerlee Care Home in Coatbridge.

1930 Born Glasgow
Attended St.Mungo’s Academy
1949 Scots College Rome
1955 Ordained Rome
1956-1959 St. James’ Coatbridge
1959-1967 St. Patrick’s Wishaw
1967-1968 St. Bartholomew’s Coatbridge
1968-1969 St. Augustine’s Coatbridge
1969-1970 St. Brendan’s Motherwell
1970-1978 Chaplain Notre Dame College of Education
1978-1979 St. Serf’s Airdrie
1979-1987 Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith Rome
1987 Secretary Bishops Conference of Scotland

Further information, and details of the funeral arrangements for Monsignor Henry, will be provided in due course.

Our Lady, Queen of Priests, pray for him.

Requiescat in pace.

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22Sep

Fewer than 50% of respondents to Scottish consultation fully support Scotland assisted suicide bill

22 Sep, 2024 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

https://righttolife.org.uk/news/fewer-than-50-of-respondents-to-scottish-consultation-fully-support-scotland-assisted-suicide-bill

Results of a Scottish Parliament consultation on Liam McArthur’s assisted suicide Bill show that fewer than 50% of respondents to the consultation fully

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21Sep

Euthanasia: A Warning from Canada

21 Sep, 2024 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

Euthanasia: A Warning from Canada.
Thursday 3rd October, 7.30 – 9pm, Gillis Centre, 100 Strathern Road, Edinburgh EH9 1BB

Learn how Assisted Suicide has failed in Canada, and what you can do to stop it in Scotland.

Alex Schadenberg is a Catholic from Canada and a world expert on the dangers of euthanasia. He's coming to Scotland to explain why mistakes in Canada could easily happen in here.

In Canada, as with all euthanasia laws, they started with “strict safeguards” which were then widened so that a Canadian veteran was offered euthanasia when what she really wanted was a wheelchair lift. And funding has been cut for hospices who refuse to take part in euthanasia.

This could happen in Scotland if the "Assisted Dying" Bill is passed in the Scottish Parliament.

At this in-person event, organised by the Archdiocese of St Andrews & Edinburgh and Care Not Killing, Alex will tell you what went wrong in Canada, and how to stop it in Scotland.

By the end of the talk, you’ll have lots of information to put to your MSPs and others to explain why “assisted dying” proposals are so dangerous to the most vulnerable people in Scotland.

Register here: https://bit.ly/warningfromcanada

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