a scottish archbishop designed the app

General Secretariat
64 Aitken Street
Airdrie
ML6 6LT
Tel: 01236 764061
Fax: 01236 762489

President:Bishop Hugh Gilbert
Vice-President:Bishop John Keenan
Episcopal Secretary:Bishop Brian McGee

General Secretary: Fr Gerard Maguiness
Assist. General Secretary: Mr Michael McGrath
Finance Officer: Mrs Louisa Crisp

Email us...

For up to date news affecting the Catholic Church in Scotland contact:

The Bishops' Conference of Scotland

The Bishops' Conference of Scotland is the forum in which 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.

In seeking to respond to the scandal of abuse and to appreciate the deep wounds caused by it in the lives of victims and survivors, the Church must learn how best to accompany them on their individual journeys towards healing. We must find ways to walk with them, listen to them, learn from them, and continue to support them. This should be the hallmark of the safeguarding culture in every parish, every religious community, every diocese, and every Catholic organisation in Scotland. (In God's Image V2, page 2)

Survivors can click here to find out more about the support provided by the Church.

Assisted Suicide Bill - 21 September 2021

In response to a Bill to legalise assisted suicide that is to be lodged with the Scottish Parliament in September 2021, the Scottish Catholic Parliamentary Office has published a briefing to provide a Catholic perspective on why this should be opposed.

Return to Worship in time for Easter - 01 March 2021

Responding to last week's statement on the reopening of Places of Worship by the First Minister, the Catholic Bishops of Scotland have issued a statement welcoming the move and calling for a removal of the cap, which limits the number of people who can attend. Instead, the bishops maintain congregation size should be calculated in accordance with the size of each church, a system similar to that used in the retail sector, which still maintains social distancing regulations.

The full text of the statement is shown below.

As Scotland's Catholic bishops, we welcome the recent announcement by the First Minister foreseeing a return to our churches for the most important celebration of the liturgical year at Easter. We also welcome the recognition of the status of public worship implicit in this decision.

The Catholic Community recognises the seriousness of the pandemic and is committed to working with others to avoid the spreading of infection.

At the same time, we anticipate ongoing dialogue with the Scottish Government regarding the requirement of a numerical "cap" on the number of worshippers. As we continue to observe social distancing and the protocols on infection control and hygiene formulated by the Bishops' Conference working group under the leadership of the former Chief Medical Officer Sir Harry Burns, we maintain that it would be more appropriate for each church building to accommodate a congregation in proportion to its size rather than on the basis of an imposed number.

We echo here the timely words Pope Francis addressed to the representatives of countries to the Holy See on the 8th February 2021:

Even as we seek ways to protect human lives from the spread of the virus, we cannot view the spiritual and moral dimension of the human person as less important than physical health.

The opening of churches is a sign that the sacrifices endured so far are bearing fruit and gives us hope and encouragement to persevere. We pray that the Risen Christ, for whom we long during this holy season of Lent, will bless and bring healing to our nation.

Scotland's Bishops mourn the death of Bishop Emeritus Vincent Logan - 14 January 2021

Following the death of Bishop Emeritus Vincent Logan, the President of the Bishops' Conference of Scotland, Bishop Hugh Gilbert has issued the following statement:

"It is with a heavy heart that we mourn the loss of Vincent Logan, the retired bishop of Dunkeld. The bishops of Scotland offer our deep condolences and the promise of our prayers to Bishop Stephen Robson and all the clergy and people of the Diocese of Dunkeld as they remember Bishop Vincent.

Coming only a day after the death in Glasgow of Archbishop Philip Tartaglia marks this week as one of loss and mourning for the Catholic church in Scotland.

Bishop Vincent Logan was dedicated and energetic. His episcopal ordination in 1981 at the age of 39 made him one of the youngest bishops in the world and gave him an energy and zeal in all he did. His commitment to Catholic Education was well known and his robust defence of it will be long remembered.

On behalf of the Bishops of Scotland, we commend his soul into the hands of God and pray that he may enjoy eternal rest."

Scotland's Catholic Bishops mourn the death of Archbishop Philip Tartaglia - 13 January 2021

Following the death of Archbishop Philip Tartaglia, the President of the Bishops' Conference of Scotland, Bishop Hugh Gilbert has issued the following statement:

"It is with the deepest sadness that we have learned of the death of our brother bishop and friend Philip Tartaglia. His loss to his family, his clergy and the people of the Archdiocese of Glasgow will be immeasurable but for the entire Church in Scotland this is a day of immense loss and sadness.

He was a gentle and caring pastor who combined compassion with a piercing intellect. His contribution to the work of the Bishops' Conference of Scotland over the past sixteen years was significant and we will miss his wisdom and wit very much.

On behalf of the Bishops of Scotland, we commend his soul into the hands of God and pray that he may enjoy eternal rest."

Scottish Bishops respond to announcement of closure of churches from 8th January 2021 - 05 January 2021

Following the First Minister's statement that all places of worship will close from Friday 8 January until Monday 1 February 2021, Scotland's Catholic Bishops have issued the following statement:

"Recognising the dangers posed by the new faster-spreading variant of COVID-19, we note the Scottish Government's decision to close all places of worship from Friday 8 January 2021.

The Scottish Government believes that such measures are necessary to curtail the spread of this new strain during the roll-out of the vaccine. We appreciate the difficult choices facing the Scottish Government at this time and we have shown ourselves ready both to cooperate with and to support its efforts in protecting the common good. This has included curtailing public worship in extreme circumstances and for a limited period.

However, we are also perplexed by the decision, given that the stringent measures taken since last March to ensure public safety in our churches have been effective. No evidence has been forthcoming to justify the inclusion of places of worship as sources of infection. Without such scientific evidence these restrictions will appear to Catholics to be arbitrary and unfair. Moreover, significant number of other sectors similarly restricted last March alongside public worship – such as construction, manufacturing and elite sports - have now been left free to continue in operation.

We also note that, in England, the essential contribution of public worship to the spiritual welfare of all citizens during this crisis has now been endorsed by the decision not to close places of worship while the Scottish Government has apparently retreated from this view, causing dismay and confusion

We are very aware of the disappointment these closures will cause not only to our own Catholic community, but to many of our fellow-Christians and those of other faiths in Scotland. We wish to emphasise again the spiritual, social and psychological benefits provided by continuing public worship, and we ask for these to be taken into full account in future decisions. Public worship is a human right and is a duty humanity owes to God. More concretely, Catholics need the Eucharist and the Sacramental encounter with the LORD as necessary to their spiritual wellbeing and their ultimate salvation.

While we unequivocally share the common goal of protecting public health, we urge the Scottish Government, when the present measures are reviewed later in January, to reconsider these restrictions in the light of the above concerns."

ENDS

Scotland's Catholic Bishops publish letter of hope. - 07 December 2020

In a National Pastoral Letter to Scotland's Catholic community, the Catholic Bishops of Scotland have highlighted "reasons for hope, as we live through these difficult times". The document, suggests society has begun to rediscover universal human dignity, pointing out that when citizens were asked "to make difficult and prolonged sacrifices for the sake of the most vulnerable and they willingly responded." The letter describes this genuine concern for the vulnerable as "obvious and beautiful".

The letter goes on to hope, that "the love and compassion we have shown amid so much suffering and death in recent months (might) now become a way of life and that love of neighbour might now "become the vital principle of our culture".

The document also addresses; Medical Care of the Sick and Vulnerable, the economy and vaccines. The bishops welcome the news of vaccine approvals and "hope this will allow an early immunisation programme to protect our population and offer the prospect of some return to normal life." In response to ethical concerns raised about the vaccines, the bishops "reassure our Catholic population that, in accordance with longstanding guidance from the Pontifical Academy for Life, it is ethical to take any of the C19 vaccines purchased by the UK at the present time, either because foetal cell lines have not been used in their development or because their sourcing is sufficiently remote."

The Pastoral Letter observes, that "Just as the nations of the world have been required to collaborate to respond effectively to the virus, so too in our own society we must work together for a better future as we rebuild after the Pandemic."

The document will be distributed to all of Scotland's 500 parishes.

CLICK HERE to read this document

National Safeguarding Co-ordinator appointed to a new post - 02 December 2020

Tina Campbell, the National Safeguarding Co-ordinator for the Catholic Church in Scotland, has recently been appointed assistant co-ordinator of the Promotion of a Consistent Culture of Protection, a project funded by the Society of Jesus, following her successful application for this global post. This change will take effect from 31^st December 2020.

The Bishops congratulate Tina on this prestigious appointment and wish her every happiness and success in this new post. They thank her for her service to the Church at a national level over the last seven years when much has been achieved to improve the Church's Safeguarding approach. We are sure that she will continue this work at a global level.

Prior to Tina's announcement, the Bishops' Conference of Scotland had launched a review of all its offices, commissions and agencies, including the Scottish Catholic Safeguarding Service. Pending the conclusion of this review, interim arrangements have been made to ensure that there will be adequate support for the work of all Church personnel who manage Safeguarding across Dioceses, Religious Congregations and Catholic organisations.

The Bishops of Scotland look forward to continue building on the effective contribution of Tina Campbell and renew their commitment to the importance of Safeguarding in the Catholic Church.

UKBA Sponsorship logo

Information for anyone seeking to welcome a non-European national to the United Kingdom to work with groups associated with the Catholic Church in Scotland.

Since November 2008 the Priests for Scotland office has been administering the Points Based System (PBS) on behalf of the Bishops' Conference of Scotland. The Bishops' Conference is licensed to issue Certificates of Sponsorship under the Migrant Religious Worker Category, tier two and tier five. The legislation behind the points based system means that compliance with this system is a legal requirement for anyone involved in the introduction of migrant workers even when those workers are unsalaried. Under UKBA legislation priests, religious, or pastoral workers are considered as Migrant Workers. Failure to comply with this legislation may result in prosecution.

This legislation involves any group within the Church that seeks to invite a non-European national to the United Kingdom. All visitors need to have the immigration status consistent with the work that they wish to carry out. Each diocese has a diocesan coordinator for UKBA who will be happy to advise. Alternatively you may wish to contact thePriests for Scotland office 0141 942 8384.

Can you give something extra?

The Services offered by the Bishops' Conference of Scotland are provided free of charge. The General Secretariat and other agencies depend entirely on the generosity of the Catholic population who give financial support through their dioceses and directly to agencies. If you would like to help with the costs of running the Bishops' Conference your added generosity would be greatly appreciated. If you can help please contact us. Catholic National Endowment Trust also known as The Bishops' Conference of Scotland is a Charity Registered in Scotland (Number: SCO 16650)