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

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

January 2026

15Jan

Gospel of the day (Mark 1:40-45)

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

Gospel of the day (Mark 1:40-45)

At that time: A leper came to Jesus, imploring him, and kneeling said to him, ‘If you will, you can make me clean.’ Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, ‘I will; be clean.’ And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. And Jesus sternly charged him and sent him away at once, and said to him, ‘See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, for a proof to them.’ But he went out and began to talk freely about it, and to spread the news, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter a town, but was out in desolate places, and people were coming to him from every quarter.

14Jan

Photos from Justice & Peace Scotland's post

14 Jan, 2026 | Justice & Peace Scotland | Justice & Peace Scotland Facebook |

✝️HOLY LAND COORDINATION 2026

🛩️Justice & Peace Scotland is preparing to travel to the Holy Land tomorrow as part of the Holy Land Coordination 2026. Archbishop Nolan, our President, and Anne-Marie Clements, our Catholic Social Teaching Engagement Officer, will join bishops from across Europe and North America in Jerusalem for the annual gathering.

📸The photos shared here from last year’s visit capture some of the people we met and the places we encountered.

🙏The work of the Holy Land Coordination is rooted in four interrelated pillars: Presence, Prayer, Pilgrimage, and Pressure. Through these, the bishops seek to stand in solidarity with local Christians, to pray with them, to encourage pilgrimages that sustain their communities, and to advocate for dignity and equal rights for all people in the region.

🕊️The theme for the 2026 visit is “A Land of Promise: Encounter and Dialogue with People of Hope.” Throughout the week, the programme will focus on meeting people living in Palestine and Israel and listening closely to their lived realities.
Our visit will include time with Christian communities in Israel and the West Bank, as well as meetings with church leaders, interfaith organisations, and peace advocacy groups.

📝As we did in 2025, we will be sharing reflections and updates through our “Journals from Jerusalem” series. We look forward to sharing these stories of hope, as they are told first-hand, over the coming week. Please keep an eye out for updates and photographs.

14Jan

Today, Pope Leo XIV was presented with the round mosaic bearing his official papal portrait — the 267th papal image to take its ...

14 Jan, 2026 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | Being Catholic |

Today, Pope Leo XIV was presented with the round mosaic bearing his official papal portrait — the 267th papal image to take its place in the Basilica of St. Paul’s Outside the Walls.

The papal mosaics of the basilica form a unique visual history of the Church, with portraits of every pope from St Peter to the present day lining the upper walls of the nave. Together, they serve as a powerful reminder of apostolic succession and the continuity of the Petrine ministry across the centuries.

The mosaic, which will be installed at the end of the right nave of the basilica, is made up of more than 15,000 tiles, including some dating back to the 1800s. At the conclusion of the presentation, the Holy Father invited all those present to pause with him in prayer before the image.

14Jan

Photos from Bishops' Conference of Scotland's post

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

As households across Scotland continue to feel the pressure of rising costs, many people may be missing out on financial support they are entitled to.

Social Security Scotland delivers 17 different payments supporting families on low incomes, disabled people, pensioners, unpaid carers, and young people starting work. Support is also available for heating costs and funeral expenses.

This includes:
• Scottish Child Payment (£27.15 per week per child)
• Disability Payments (up to £110.40 per week for those aged 66+)
• Carer Support Payment (£83.30 per week)
• Job Start Payment (£319.80 one-off payment)

Advice Direct Scotland warns that millions of pounds in benefits go unclaimed each year.

You can check your eligibility for free at benefits.advice.scot or call 0808 800 9060.

Taking a few minutes to check could make a real difference.

14Jan

Holy Mass of Wednesday of the First Week of Ordinary Time | 14 January 2026

14 Jan, 2026 | Being Catholic | Being Catholic |

Holy Mass of Wednesday of the First Week of Ordinary Time | 14 January 2026
This music is licensed under one license number: A-623356

14Jan

Today marks the fifth anniversary of the death of Bishop Vincent Logan (†14 January 2021), Emeritus Bishop of Dunkeld

14 Jan, 2026 | Being Catholic | Being Catholic |

Today marks the fifth anniversary of the death of Bishop Vincent Logan (†14 January 2021), Emeritus Bishop of Dunkeld.

Bishop Vincent served the Diocese of Dunkeld for almost 32 years, from his appointment in 1981 until his retirement in 2012. Appointed by Pope John Paul II, he gave decades of generous and energetic service to the people of the diocese and to the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland, where his work was widely valued and appreciated.

His later years were marked by ill health, borne with quiet dignity and faith. He died during the Covid pandemic, just one day after his close friend and brother bishop, Archbishop Philip Tartaglia, alongside whom he had served for many years.

On this anniversary, we remember Bishop Vincent with gratitude for his long priestly and episcopal ministry, his commitment to Catholic education and catechesis, and his faithful service to the Church in Scotland. We commend him to the mercy of God and pray for the repose of his soul, and for all who mourn him.

Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord,
and let perpetual light shine upon him.
May he rest in peace.

14Jan

Today marks the fifth anniversary of the death of Bishop Vincent Logan (†14 January 2021), Emeritus Bishop of Dunkeld

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

14Jan

Gospel of the day (Mark 1:29-39)

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

Gospel of the day (Mark 1:29-39)

At that time: Jesus left the synagogue and entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. Now Simon’s mother-in-law lay ill with a fever, and immediately they told him about her. And he came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and the fever left her, and she began to serve them.

That evening at sundown they brought to him all who were sick or oppressed by demons. And the whole city was gathered together at the door. And he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. And he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.

And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. And Simon and those who were with him searched for him, and they found him and said to him, ‘Everyone is looking for you.’ And he said to them, ‘Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is what I came for.’ And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons.

13Jan

Today marks the fifth anniversary of the death of Archbishop Philip Tartaglia (†13 January 2021)

13 Jan, 2026 | Being Catholic | Being Catholic |

Today marks the fifth anniversary of the death of Archbishop Philip Tartaglia (†13 January 2021).

In his homily at the Requiem Mass, Bishop Hugh Gilbert offered an image that has stayed with many:

“A tree felled unexpectedly in the middle of the night… an uprooting that has changed the landscapes of so many lives.”

Five years on, that image continues to resonate. In the days and years since his death, many have come to see the depth of his roots, the shelter he gave, and the quiet strength on which so many relied. Bishop Hugh spoke of “the sound timber” of his life, a man of integrity, warmth and faith.

Today we give thanks for Archbishop Philip’s life and ministry, for his love of Christ and the Church, and for his faithful service to the people and the Church in Scotland. We commend him to God’s mercy.

“The great tree goes into the earth as a seed… Man’s winter, God’s spring.”

Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord,
and let perpetual light shine upon him.
May he rest in peace.

13Jan

Today marks the fifth anniversary of the death of Archbishop Philip Tartaglia (†13 January 2021)

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