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.

Members of The Bishops' Conference of Scotland

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

November 2025

21Nov

A post from Bishops' Conference of Scotland

21 Nov, 2025 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

21Nov

MSPs have approved an amendment allowing doctors to raise the option of assisted suicide with patients

21 Nov, 2025 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

MSPs have approved an amendment allowing doctors to raise the option of assisted suicide with patients.

MSPs have decided that death certificates should list the underlying illness rather than the administration of lethal drugs, as the cause of death in cases of assisted suicide.

The Holyrood committee has already DISMISSED the following proposed safeguards:

▪ Limiting eligibility to those with six months or less to live.
▪ Excluding cases driven by intellectual disability or eating disorders.
▪ Ensuring decisions are not influenced by poverty or inadequate housing.

✅ Please use the Care Not Killing Scotland online tool to update your MSPs on these deeply troubling developments. Go to https://carenotkilling.scot/

Follow Catholic Parliamentary Office for Scotland for updates.

21Nov

The Scottish Parliament’s Health, Social Care and Sport Committee has agreed (4-2) to write to the UN Committee on the Rights of...

21 Nov, 2025 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

The Scottish Parliament’s Health, Social Care and Sport Committee has agreed (4-2) to write to the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities to ask if the McArthur Bill is compatible with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

#AssistedSuicide

21Nov

Photos from Scottish Catholic Education Service's post

21 Nov, 2025 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

21Nov

A post from Bishops' Conference of Scotland

21 Nov, 2025 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

20Nov

🩵DIGNITY NOT DETENTION🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

20 Nov, 2025 | Justice & Peace Scotland | Justice & Peace Scotland Facebook |

🩵DIGNITY NOT DETENTION🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

On St Andrew’s Day, Justice & Peace Scotland invites you to ‘Dignity Not Detention’, a peaceful solidarity gathering outside Dungavel Immigration Removal Centre.

In a climate of increasing hostility around immigration this small act of witness is a way to offer an alternative message of fraternity and compassion.

The UK remains the only country in Europe with no statutory time limit on immigration detention. This means that people can be held in prison-like conditions indefinitely, with no idea when they will be released. The prolonged uncertainty causes profound mental distress, exacerbates trauma, and tears individuals away from their communities, studies, work, and families.

We gather to bring attention to this unjust and inhumane practice, mindful of Pope Leo’s recent reflections on the moral responsibilities governments bear in shaping their immigration systems:

“I think we have to look for ways of treating people humanely, treating people with the dignity that they have.”

📆Sunday 30th November
🕐1.00PM
📍Dungavel IRC, Strathaven, ML10 6RF

19Nov

Calls have been made for the Scottish Government to reject extreme abortion up to birth plans following a review it commissioned...

19 Nov, 2025 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

Calls have been made for the Scottish Government to reject extreme abortion up to birth plans following a review it commissioned into the abortion law. 😮 Read the full article here: https://righttolife.org.uk/1c2r

19Nov

Jubilee of Hope - Sacrosanctum Concilium - RC Diocese of Galloway

19 Nov, 2025 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

This film about Sacrosanctum Concilium, the Second Vatican Council’s document on the Sacred Liturgy, is part of the Diocese of Galloway’s reflection for the Jubilee Year 2025. Each deanery in...

18Nov

Photos from St Joseph's College Dumfries's post

18 Nov, 2025 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

18Nov

As feared, the Scottish Parliament Health Committee has rejected amendments that would have given hospices, including Catholic h...

18 Nov, 2025 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

As feared, the Scottish Parliament Health Committee has rejected amendments that would have given hospices, including Catholic hospices, the right to opt-out of assisted suicide. Without this protection, Catholic hospices and care homes may be forced to close.

Image: Right To Life UK