St Mary's University, Twickenham, invites people from across Scotland to study Applied Catholic Theology (MA) from its campus at The Gillis Centre in Edinburgh. The two year, part-time course is a partnership with the Archdiocese of St Andrews & Edinburgh.

“St Mother Teresa said
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.”

She concluded her speech with words of hope, and a reminder that we are called to use our freedom for higher purposes than murder:

“If we remember that God loves us, and that we can love others as He loves us, then America can become a sign of peace for the world. From here, a sign of care for the weakest of the weak -- the unborn child -- must go out to the world. If you become a burning light of justice and peace in the world, then really you will be true to what the founders of this country stood for. God bless you!”

In a telegram for the Day of Life observed by the Church in England and Wales, Scotland, and Ireland, Pope Leo calls on Catholics to continue to bear ...

🧡 REFUGEE WEEK 2025: 16TH - 22ND JUNE

📜Claiming asylum is a human right, enshrined in the customs and treaties of international law to which the UK is party. Yet too often those fleeing violence, oppression, and persecution are met not with compassion but with hostility and are scapegoated as the cause of our societal problems rather than recognised as people seeking sanctuary and hope.

📖Catholic Social Teaching has long affirmed the rights of refugees and migrants. From the apostolic constitution Exsul Familia Nazarethana of Pius XII in 1952 to today, the Church has consistently called on nations to protect those forced to flee their homes.

🇻🇦Pope Francis challenged Christians to reject the prevailing attitudes of indifference and hostility towards migrants and refugees in his 2020 papal encyclical Fratelli Tutti:

💬“Migrants are not seen as entitled like others to participate in the life of society, and it is forgotten that they possess the same intrinsic dignity as any person… No one will ever openly deny that they are human beings, yet in practice, by our decisions and the way we treat them, we can show that we consider them less worthy, less important, less human.
For Christians, this way of thinking and acting is unacceptable since it sets certain political preferences above deep convictions of our faith: the inalienable dignity of each human person regardless of origin, race or religion, and the supreme law of fraternal love.”

🦺Many of those arriving on UK shores by irregular routes like small boat crossings do so not by choice but because there are no safe or accessible alternatives. If the UK provided more secure and fair pathways for people to claim asylum, these dangerous journeys would not be necessary.

🕊️Justice & Peace Scotland has consistently advocated for a fairer, more humane asylum system and added our voice to the call for greater welcome, safety, and sanctuary for refugees who are first and foremost our sisters and brothers in Christ.

📢This Refugee Week, we continue to stand in solidarity with those forced to flee their homes and encourage our supporters to speak out for a more compassionate asylum system, to challenge the language of fear and division, and to welcome the stranger in our midst.