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

22Jan

Gospel of the day (Mark 3:7-12)

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

Gospel of the day (Mark 3:7-12)

At that time: Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the sea, and a great crowd followed, from Galilee and Judea and Jerusalem and Idumea and from beyond the Jordan and from around Tyre and Sidon. When the great crowd heard all that he was doing, they came to him. And he told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, lest they crush him, for he had healed many, so that all who had diseases pressed around him to touch him. And whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, ‘You are the Son of God.’ And he strictly ordered them not to make him known.

21Jan

Today is the Memorial of St Agnes, a fourth-century martyr

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

Today is the Memorial of St Agnes, a fourth-century martyr. To mark this, in the Urban VIII Chapel at the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV was presented with two lambs on the Memorial of St Agnes of Rome.

In keeping with long-standing custom, the lambs were later blessed at the Basilica of St Agnes Outside the Walls, built over her tomb. The wool from these lambs will be used to make the pallia for newly appointed Metropolitan Archbishops.

The pallium is a liturgical sign of honour and pastoral responsibility worn by the Pope and Metropolitan Archbishops within their own dioceses and ecclesiastical provinces. Made from white wool and marked with six black silk crosses, it symbolises the shepherd’s care for the flock entrusted to him.

References to the blessing of lambs on the feast of St Agnes can be traced back to the sixth century. The practice is linked to an early tradition which recounts that St Agnes appeared to her parents after her martyrdom while they were praying at her tomb, holding a pure lamb as a sign of innocence and faithfulness.

Historically, the offering of lambs was also connected to the relationship between Roman basilicas, with lambs presented to the Pope for blessing. For centuries, the wool was then prepared by Benedictine nuns at the Basilica of St Cecilia in Trastevere, who would shear the lambs during Holy Week and weave the pallia.

While some practical details of the tradition have changed over time, its meaning remains unchanged. It continues to express the bond between the witness of St Agnes, the pastoral ministry of bishops, and the unity of the Church centred on Rome.

21Jan

Lay Ministers in the Archdiocese of St Andrews & Edinburgh went on pilgrimage to the historic city of Dunfermline this week

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

Lay Ministers in the Archdiocese of St Andrews & Edinburgh went on pilgrimage to the historic city of Dunfermline this week.

From left:
▪ Carol Chamberlain (St Kentigern’s Academy, Blackburn)
▪ Miriam Reynolds (St Thomas of Aquin’s, Edinburgh)
▪ Angela Cheney (St Columba’s High, Dunfermline)
▪ Sr Mary Benedicta RSM (Lay Co-ordinator)
▪ Margaret Russell (Sinclair Academy, Winchburgh)

The event was led by Sr Mary Benedicta RSM, Lay Co-ordinator for the Archdiocese. She said: “The lay ministers grew in collegiality and friendship, sharing ideas about their schools, their faith, and building a community together in their special ministry at our Catholic secondary schools.”

Lay Ministers help spread the good news of Jesus Christ at Catholic high schools in the Archdiocese by working with school chaplains to support the faith journey of students and staff.

21Jan

Holy Mass of the Memorial of Saint Agnes | 21 January 2026

21 Jan, 2026 | Being Catholic | Being Catholic |

Holy Mass of the Memorial of Saint Agnes | 21 January 2026
This music is licensed under one license number: A-623356

21Jan

Very little is known with certainty about Saint Agnes, other than that she was martyred at a remarkably young age, likely around...

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

Very little is known with certainty about Saint Agnes, other than that she was martyred at a remarkably young age, likely around twelve or thirteen, during the persecutions of the late third century.

Early accounts tell of a young Christian girl who refused marriage because of her faith. According to tradition, her rejection of suitors led to her being reported to the authorities as a Christian. She was arrested and subjected to humiliation, yet remained steadfast in her trust in God. Stories surrounding her martyrdom speak of God’s protection and her courage in the face of suffering.

Saint Agnes was ultimately put to death and buried in a catacomb outside Rome, which later took her name. Her witness made such an impact that a basilica was later built in her honour during the time of Constantine.

Despite her youth, Saint Agnes remains one of the Church’s most powerful examples of faith, purity and courage under persecution.

Saint Agnes, pray for us.

21Jan

Gospel of the day (Mark 3:1-6)

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

Gospel of the day (Mark 3:1-6)

At that time: Again Jesus entered the synagogue, and a man was there with a withered hand. And they watched Jesus, to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him. And he said to the man with the withered hand, ‘Come here.’ And he said to them, ‘Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?’ But they were silent. And he looked round at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, ‘Stretch out your hand.’ He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. The Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him.

20Jan

“The world offers you comfort, but you were not made for comfort

20 Jan, 2026 | Being Catholic | Being Catholic |

“The world offers you comfort, but you were not made for comfort. You were made for greatness.” - Pope Benedict XVI

20Jan

Photos from Justice & Peace Scotland's post

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

📝JOURNALS FROM JERUSALEM - "Justice for our people, justice for our land, and justice for our olive trees."

⛪On 18th January, the Holy Land Coordination travelled to Taybeh to join the parish community of Christ of the Redeemer. Mass was celebrated in Arabic by Bishop Elias Zaidan of the Maronite Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles, Chair of the Committee on International Justice & Peace at United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

🕊️During the Offertory local children brought forward the gifts along with a peace lamp that was placed before the altar. It symbolised our shared prayers and hopes for peace and healing for all people in Palestine and Israel.

📰Numerous news outlets, including Vatican News, have reported a surge in settler violence in Taybeh, forcing residents to live under constant fear and intimidation. Following Mass, the Bishops and those accompanying them met with members of the parish to listen first-hand to the hardships they are enduring. Many people stood up to recount incidents of cars being set alight, homes and property vandalised, and community members assaulted or threatened.

🫒One woman spoke of her family’s land, where they grow olive trees. In order to protect it they erected a fence last year. Recently settlers removed the fence, entered the land, and took down the trees. When she was asked what we could do for her, she gave an emotional response that echoed the pleas of many in Taybeh:
“Seek justice for our people, justice for our land, and justice for our olive trees.”

✝️To seek justice and peace for everyone in this land must begin with telling the stories of injustice experienced by those who live there. Taybeh is the last fully Christian town in the West Bank. While the injustices we heard about on Sunday affect many Palestinians, regardless of faith, the people of Taybeh hold a particular significance for Christians around the world. They are the "living stones": a living link between the places associated with the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus and the worldwide Church he founded. As another parishioner shared, speaking of the fear caused by settlement expansion:
“If we lose our land, you lose the living stones.”

🙏We pray for the people of Taybeh, for the protection of their land, their livelihoods, and their dignity; and we pray for a just and lasting peace for all throughout the Holy Land.

📸Image credit: Marcin Mazur - Catholic Bishops' Conference (England and Wales).

20Jan

Soaring Bible sales prove the young are looking for meaning in our soulless culture

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

Recent data shows that sales of the Bible have reached unprecedented levels in the United Kingdom, with numbers up significantly compared to recent years. What’s especially striking is the growing interest among younger generations, many of whom are seeking meaning, purpose, and spiritual grounding in a culture that often feels empty or directionless.

Amid a culture that often feels empty, today’s young people are seeking spiritual meaning and rediscovering the power of the Scriptures. This trend suggests a deep desire for connection and truth in a rapidly changing world.

Let’s pray for continued openness to faith and that this renewed interest leads to deeper encounters with Christ. 🙏

Religious education is not what it once was. Today’s youth are now having to seek out spiritual experiences

20Jan

A Catholic charity worker has recently become an author of a children’s book, which explores how communities flourish

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

A Catholic charity worker has recently become an author of a children’s book, which explores how communities flourish.

Mum of one Elaine McGinlay has worked for the Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund for 12 years and is their Education Officer. She has written a children’s book drawing on more than a decade of work in development education.

Elaine was inspired to write the book The Wisdom of the River after she visited SCIAF’S partner communities and witnessed how they supported one another to flourish in the face of challenges such as severe droughts.

Every Catholic primary school in Scotland will now receive a free copy.

Elaine said: “My wee boy Matthew thinks it’s really cool that his mum wrote his new favourite bedtime story, although he is a wee bit young for it. It’s mainly aimed at 7-10 year olds.

“Matthew goes to the same primary school I went to – St Timothy’s. My mum used to be known affectionately in the school as “the SCIAF lady” for her long-term commitment to fundraising! He loves choosing different paths through the story and is looking forward to sharing with his teacher.”

The book follows the story of a community which lives on the banks of a wide, flowing river and the choices they face as they work together to help their town flourish and ‘sing again’. On each page, readers choose what happens next and which characters they wish to speak to, creating an interactive, choose-your-own-story adventure.

The book is a gentle introduction to Integral Human Development — the Catholic Church’s holistic vision of human flourishing, which considers the whole person and whole community. This vision shapes SCIAF’s work around the world.

The Wisdom of the River has been written for families and classrooms and explores the themes of faith, sustainable development and human flourishing.

The book allows readers to navigate challenges drawn from the real experiences of SCIAF’s partner communities around the world, such as collecting rainwater.

There is also a Gaelic version of the book.

Elaine added: “The Wisdom of the River brings SCIAF’s work to life in a gentle way, and I think it is a wonderful addition to any school or home library.

“My hope is that families enjoy reading this book aloud together and learn how flourishing isn’t only about material needs or simple solutions to complex global issues, including poverty and hunger, but about many connected solutions.”