The Bishops' Conference of Scotland

𝗟𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗣𝗵𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗗𝗶𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝗮𝗻 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

At the request of the Holy See, we the Bishops of Scotland have been considering how our diocesan structures can best serve our shared mission in the years ahead.

This is not simply a question of boundaries, administrative adjustments or the sharing of resources more effectively. Primarily it is about how we can better proclaim the Gospel, support our clergy, religious and lay people, and strengthen our parishes and communities for evangelisation.

As part of this discernment, and informed by the diocesan feedback summaries, we considered a range of possible configurations.

The following options are now being presented for further reflection and consultation across all our eight dioceses:

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ 1. Argyll & the Isles and Paisley merge
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ 2. Argyll & the Isles and Glasgow merge
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ 3. Paisley and Galloway merge
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ 4. Galloway and Motherwell merge
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ 5. St. Andrews & Edinburgh and Dunkeld merge
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ 6. Motherwell, Paisley and Galloway merge
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ 7. Maintain the current diocesan structures but with greater sharing and collaboration

These are possibilities for further discernment, not decisions or an agreed map for the future.

As your bishops, we recognise that dioceses are communities of faith with their own histories, relationships and traditions. Any change must therefore be approached with prayer, sensitivity and care for the people and communities involved.

Synodal discernment also asks each of us to look beyond our own self-interests and to consider what will best serve the Catholic Church in Scotland as a whole.

Everyone in every parish is encouraged to make their voice heard when opportunities for consultation are announced locally by their diocesan bishop.

Information packs will be made available in each diocese to support this next phase. These will provide an opportunity to learn more about each of Scotland’s eight dioceses, including important statistics and demographic information, so that the consultation can be informed by a fuller picture of Catholic life across the country. The fruits of the consultation will help us to formulate a concrete proposal to the Holy See.

For completeness, the following options were considered but will 𝗻𝗼𝘁 be taken forward:

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ 1. Split Aberdeen at the Great Glen. Argyll and the Isles to merge with the territory north of the Great Glen and Dunkeld to merge with the territory south of the Great Glen.
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ 2. Dunkeld and Aberdeen merge
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ 3. Argyll & the Isles and Aberdeen merge
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ 4. Argyll & the Isles and Dunkeld merge
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ 5. Glasgow, Motherwell and Paisley merge
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ 6. Glasgow and Paisley merge
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ 7. St. Andrews & Edinburgh and Galloway merge
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ 8. Glasgow, Paisley and Argyll and the Isles merge

Finally, we encourage everyone to actively engage in this process, and to the keep this central question at the heart our prayer and reflection:
𝙃𝙤𝙬 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙬𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙚𝙦𝙪𝙞𝙥 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘾𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙡𝙞𝙘 𝘾𝙝𝙪𝙧𝙘𝙝 𝙞𝙣 𝙎𝙘𝙤𝙩𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣, 𝙚𝙫𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙞𝙘𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙂𝙤𝙙’𝙨 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚?


With every blessing,

+ 𝗟𝗲𝗼 𝗖𝘂𝘀𝗵𝗹𝗲𝘆
Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh

+ 𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗺 𝗡𝗼𝗹𝗮𝗻
Archbishop of Glasgow

+ 𝗝𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗽𝗵 𝗧𝗼𝗮𝗹
Bishop of Motherwell

+ 𝗛𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗚𝗶𝗹𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘁 𝗢𝗦𝗕
Bishop of Aberdeen

+ 𝗝𝗼𝗵𝗻 𝗞𝗲𝗲𝗻𝗮𝗻
Bishop of Paisley

+ 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗠𝗰𝗚𝗲𝗲
Bishop of Argyll and the Isles

+ 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝘀 𝗗𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗮𝗻
Bishop of Galloway

+ 𝗔𝗻𝗱𝗿𝗲𝘄 𝗠𝗰𝗞𝗲𝗻𝘇𝗶𝗲
Bishop of Dunkeld

Gospel Luke 8:4-15
‘That which fell in the good soil, they hold fast the word and bear fruit with patience.’

At that time: When a great crowd was gathering and people from town after town came to him, Jesus said in a parable, ‘A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell along the path and was trampled underfoot, and the birds of the air devoured it. And some fell on the rock, and as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up with it and choked it. And some fell into good soil, and grew, and yielded a hundredfold.’ As he said these things, he called out, ‘He who has ears to hear, let him hear.’
And when his disciples asked him what this parable meant, he said, ‘To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God, but for others they are in parables, so that “seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand”. Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. The ones along the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a while, and in time of testing fall away. And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature. As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.’

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Gospel Luke 8:1-3
‘Some women were with them, who provided for them out of their means.’

At that time: Jesus went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. And the Twelve were with him, and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod’s household manager, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their means.

Gospel Luke 7:36-50
‘Her sins, which are many, are forgiven — for she loved much.’

At that time: One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and reclined at table. And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment. Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, ‘If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.’ And Jesus answering said to him, ‘Simon, I have something to say to you.’ And he answered, ‘Say it, Teacher.’
‘A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?’ Simon answered, ‘The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.’ And he said to him, ‘You have judged rightly.’ Then turning towards the woman he said to Simon, ‘Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven — for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.’ And he said to her, ‘Your sins are forgiven.’ Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, ‘Who is this, who even forgives sins?’ And he said to the woman, ‘Your faith has saved you; go in peace.’