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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

25th October 2026


25 October 2026

Archbishop Cushley welcomes honour for Pope Leo

Archbishop Leo Cushley has welcomed the announcement that Pope Leo XIV has accepted an invitation to become Papal Confrater of St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle.

Archbishop Cushley is the Bishop President for Ecumenical Relations of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland.

This honour follows The King’s own appointment as Royal Confrater of the Papal Basilica and Abbey of St Paul’s Outside the Walls in Rome during his State Visit to the Vatican in October last year.

Welcoming the announcement, Archbishop Cushley said:

“I warmly welcome the news that His Majesty The King has approved the nomination of Pope Leo as Papal Confrater of the College of St George at St George’s Chapel, Windsor. By this gesture, both His Majesty and the Holy Father have shown their clear wish to promote Christian unity through emphasis on all that we treasure in common, not least our respect and friendship for each other as brothers and sisters in Christ.”

...ENDS

Notes for editors

  • Photo of Bishops’ Conference of Scotland: Photo of Bishops' Conference of Scotland
  • 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. www.bcos.org.uk
  • 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]

23rd October 2026


23 October 2026

The UK Budget, to be delivered by the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 28 October, will set out the UK Government’s plans for taxation and public spending alongside an independent assessment of the economic and fiscal outlook from the Office for Budget Responsibility. Its decisions will shape the resources available for public services, devolved governments and support for households and communities across the country.

The Catholic Parliamentary Office of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland urges the Chancellor to put human dignity and the common good at the heart of the Budget.

That means tackling poverty in all its forms, protecting people who need care, sustaining families and community services, and reversing international aid cuts. Poverty, inadequate housing and healthcare, family breakdown, unemployment and environmental neglect all undermine the dignity of individuals and the wellbeing of society.

For households struggling with living costs, this must include targeted energy support for those unable to afford adequate heating, alongside sustained investment in affordable housing and warmer homes. The Budget must address the cost-of-living crisis head on and provide the support people need to meet essential costs, keep their homes warm and live with dignity.

The welfare system must also provide adequate support for those in need and practical routes into employment for those able to work.

Alongside these commitments, the Budget must provide sustainable funding settlements that enable devolved governments to support all these key areas.

Our responsibility to those in need also extends beyond our borders. We urge the UK Government to reverse the planned cut in Official Development Assistance from 0.5% to 0.3% of national income by 2027 and work towards restoring 0.7%. This would support low-income countries and protect essential humanitarian and development programmes from further disruption.

The same commitment to human dignity must guide our response to refugees and people seeking asylum. We urge the UK Government to provide safe, legal routes to protection, including resettlement and family reunion, backed by adequate funding. The Budget should also support local authorities and community organisations to welcome people seeking safety and help them rebuild their lives.

Community organisations also play a vital role in supporting people in need. They require fair, sustainable and predictable funding, and their experience must help shape policy.

Finally, care for the environment must go hand in hand with care for those most affected by change. The Chancellor must provide predictable international climate finance for communities in greatest need and protect low-income households from disproportionate costs in the transition to cleaner energy.

..ENDS

Notes for editors

  • Photo of Bishops’ Conference of Scotland: Photo of Bishops' Conference of Scotland
  • 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. www.bcos.org.uk
  • 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]

22nd October 2026


22 October 2026

Statement from the Bishops' Conference of Scotland

Bishop John Keenan, Bishop of Paisley and President of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland, has announced that he is stepping back from his daily duties until further notice, following medical advice.
Bishop Keenan has been undergoing medical investigations and will require further tests and examinations over the coming weeks.
During this time, Vicar General Monsignor Joe Burke will oversee the day-to-day running of the Diocese of Paisley.
Bishop Keenan hopes to provide a further update once these investigations are concluded and is grateful for your prayers at this time.

...ENDS

Notes for editors

  • 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. www.bcos.org.uk
  • 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

December 2025
Bishop Toal's Sunday Reflection on Sunday, 28 December 2025

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Bishop Toal's Sunday Reflection on Sunday, 28 December 2025

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In a rare and significant moment of agreement, MSPs from Labour, the SNP and the Conservatives have raised serious concerns about the Assisted Dying Bill currently before the Scottish Parliament.

All parties agree on one thing: everyone deserves compassionate and dignified care at the end of life. However, they warn that the bill risks doing the opposite: entrenching injustice and inequality, particularly for the most vulnerable.

More than 100 reasonable amendments designed to improve safety have already been rejected by the Holyrood committee. These included proposals to:
• strengthen palliative care
• provide clear guidance if assisted suicide drugs fail or complications occur
• protect conscience rights for medical staff
• require training on the rights of people with disabilities
• ensure transparent reporting on complications and outcomes

Writing in The Times, former Scottish Chief Medical Officer Sir Harry Burns and Bishop John Keenan, President of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland, warn:

“Our experience of pastoral and medical care leaves us deeply troubled… particularly by the unwillingness of the bill’s proponents to consider any amendments improving palliative care services. As we face the real threat of palliative care beds being closed this year, the pressure to opt for assisted suicide could become immense.”

At a time when end-of-life care services are under real strain, the refusal to strengthen palliative care is deeply concerning.

This bill is not safe, and it risks harming far more people than it seeks to help. We urge MSPs to reject this legislation and instead begin a meaningful, compassionate debate about how Scotland truly cares for people at the end of life.

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📍 Contact your MSP and make your voice heard: https://carenotkilling.scot/







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Holy Mass of the Feast of the Holy Family | 28 December 2025
This music is licensed under one license number: A-623356

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🙏PRAYER TO THE HOLY FAMILY FOR REFUGEES

On the Feast of the Holy Family we ask Jesus, Mary and Joseph who once had to flee violence and persecution themselves, to accompany all families and people who are seeking sanctuary today:

Lord Jesus, Son of God,
you know what it is to flee your home in fear,
to seek safety in a foreign land.
Be close to all who are forced to leave
their homes, their livelihoods, and all that is familiar.

Holy Mary, Mother of God,
you know the anxiety of seeking shelter,
of protecting your child amid danger and threat.
Comfort all mothers and caregivers who are displaced, and surround their children with your gentle love and care.

Saint Joseph, faithful guardian of the Holy Family,
you led Jesus and Mary to safety in Egypt.
Guide and protect all families
and people fleeing war, persecution, poverty, and violence.
Intercede for them that they may know safe passage, sanctuary, and the hope and courage to build new lives.

Holy Family of Nazareth,
help us to recognise you
in every refugee, migrant, and displaced person.
Remove our fear, indifference, and suspicion,
and fill us with the love of Christ,
that we may welcome the stranger
with open hearts and generous hands,
sharing our resources and our solidarity.

Inspire our leaders and nations
to work for justice and peace,
so that every family may live without fear of violence, war, and persecution
and every person may find dignity, safety, and belonging.

Amen

📷 Image - 'Refugees: The Holy Family' by Kelly Latimore

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Feast of the Holy Family

Devotion to the Holy Family began in Bethlehem itself. The shepherds and the Magi honoured not only the Child Jesus, but also Mary and Joseph who lovingly cared for Him.

The Holy Family teaches us how to love and protect the Body of Christ, both the Church and the Eucharist. Just as Mary and Joseph cared for Jesus’ physical body with tenderness, we are called to honour His Real Presence with deep reverence.

Looking to their example, we ask forgiveness for times we have failed in love for the Eucharist, and we pray for a renewed devotion to Jesus, who remains with us always.

Holy Family of Nazareth, pray for us. ❤️

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Gospel of the day (Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23)

When the Magi had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, ‘Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.’ And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfil what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: ‘Out of Egypt I called my son.’

But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, ‘Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child’s life are dead.’ And he rose and took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the district of Galilee. And he went and lived in a city called Nazareth, so that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled, that he would be called a Nazarene.

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Holy Mass of the Feast of Saint John | 27 December 2025
This music is licensed under one license number: A-623356

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Today we celebrate the feast of St John the Apostle and Evangelist.

Born in Bethsaida, John was a fisherman with his brother James when Jesus called him to follow Him. He became the beloved disciple, staying close to the Lord throughout His ministry.

St John is the author of the fourth Gospel, three Epistles, and the Book of Revelation. His writings on the eternal Word—who became flesh as the light and life of the world—are among the most beautiful in Scripture. He is truly the evangelist of Christ’s divinity and of Christian love.

John witnessed the Transfiguration, rested on Jesus’ heart at the Last Supper, and stood faithfully at the foot of the Cross, where Jesus entrusted His Mother to him. Later exiled to Patmos, he lived to an old age, remaining ever close to Jesus and Mary.

St John, pray for us. ✨

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Gospel of the day (John 20:2-8)

On the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, ‘They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.’ So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going towards the tomb. Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, and the face cloth, which had been on the head of Jesus, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed.

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