The Bishops' Conference of Scotland

13th April 2026

13 April 2026

Peace and Dialogue: the Gospel Response to Conflict

The Bishops of Scotland today renew their urgent appeal to political leaders across the world to pursue peace with courage, determination, and sincerity. In a time marked by deepening conflict and human suffering, particularly in the Middle East, Ukraine, Sudan and South Sudan, the need for dialogue and diplomatic solutions has never been more pressing.

War brings devastation, loss, and division. It leaves lasting wounds in families, communities, and nations, and it disproportionately harms the innocent. The Bishops call on all those in positions of authority to reject the path of escalation and instead commit themselves to meaningful dialogue, patient negotiation, and the difficult but necessary work of peacebuilding.

The Bishops express their gratitude to Pope Leo for his clear and consistent voice in calling for peace. His leadership continues to be a guiding light for the Church and the world at this critical time.

Reflecting on the Holy Father’s recent Vigil for Peace held last Saturday, the Bishops highlight his powerful words:
“Let us silence the weapons, so that the voice of humanity may be heard. Let us choose encounter over confrontation, and the courage of peace over the illusion of power.”

The Bishops of Scotland invite Catholics across our country to join the Holy Father in this appeal. In parishes, homes, and communities, we continue to pray fervently for an end to violence and for the triumph of justice and reconciliation.

The Bishops urge all people of goodwill to stand together in hope. Peace is not beyond reach - but it requires genuine humility, courage, and a shared commitment to the dignity of every human life.

As the Holy Father begins his apostolic journey to several countries in Africa as a missionary of peace, we assure him of our continued prayers and solidarity.

Image: Pope Leo XIV by Edgar Beltrán / Wikimedia Commons

20th March 2026

20 March 2026

Statement from the Bishops' Conference of Scotland

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

Following a request from the Holy See, the Bishops of Scotland have been invited to reflect on how the structures of the Church in our country can best serve her mission in the years ahead, specifically whether the present situation of eight dioceses is suitable.

We are all aware of the challenges before us — fewer clergy, changing patterns of practice, and increasing pressures on our diocesan resources, among other things. Yet our mission remains unchanged: to proclaim the Gospel and to lead our people to Christ.

Two possible pathways are being proposed for careful discernment: developing deeper cooperation and the sharing of resources across dioceses within our present structures, or the merging of some dioceses.

In order to best inform ourselves and the Holy See, each bishop will engage with his diocese over the coming months for the first part of this process. Everyone will be given the opportunity to pray, reflect, and contribute.

Following-on from the presentation of a discussion paper, responses from each diocese will contribute to the initial findings which will be given to the Holy See in the Autumn.

This is not simply an administrative exercise. It is a pastoral and missionary response to our changing landscape. This process will ensure our Church in Scotland will continue to grow ever more missionary, more Christ-centred, and more collaborative in the service of God’s people.

Entrusting this work to the guidance of the Holy Spirit and to the intercession of Our Lady, we move forward together with confidence and renewed hope.

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

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February 2026

13Feb

Gospel

13 Feb, 2026 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

Gospel
Mark 7:31-37
‘He makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.’

At that time: Jesus returned from the region of Tyre and went through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis. And they brought to him a man who was deaf and had a speech impediment, and they begged him to lay his hand on him. And taking him aside from the crowd privately, he put his fingers into his ears, and after spitting touched his tongue. And looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, ‘Ephphatha’, that is, ‘Be opened.’ And his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. And Jesus charged them to tell no one. But the more he charged them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, ‘He has done all things well. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.’

12Feb

Gospel

12 Feb, 2026 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

Gospel
Mark 7:24-30
‘The dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.’

At that time: Jesus arose and went away to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And he entered a house and did not want anyone to know, yet he could not be hidden. But immediately a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit heard of him and came and fell down at his feet. Now the woman was a Gentile, a Syrophoenician by birth. And she begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. And he said to her, ‘Let the children be fed first, for it is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.’ But she answered him, ‘Yes, Lord; yet even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.’ And he said to her, ‘For this statement you may go your way; the demon has left your daughter.’ And she went home and found the child lying in bed and the demon gone.

11Feb

The 2026 Cardinal Winning Lecture takes place on Saturday 7th March

11 Feb, 2026 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

The 2026 Cardinal Winning Lecture takes place on Saturday 7th March. This year’s lecture, “Why the Way of Beauty Matters in Catholic Education,” will be delivered by Dr Jem Sullivan, Associate Professor in the School of Theology and Religious Studies at The Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C.

Programme for the day:
9:30 – Mass, celebrated by Bishop John Keenan (University Chapel)
10:15 – Light refreshments (Fore Hall, Room 256)
11:00 – Lecture followed by Q&A (Humanity Lecture Theatre, Room 255)
12:20 – Prayer
12:30 – Lunch (Fore Hall)

👉 Reserve your place here: https://buytickets.at/standrewsfoundation/2035593

11Feb

Did you know the Vatican Gardens have their own Lourdes Grotto?

11 Feb, 2026 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

Did you know the Vatican Gardens have their own Lourdes Grotto?

Tucked away within the gardens is a faithful replica of the grotto at Lourdes, standing there since 1905. It was first suggested as a gift to Pope Leo XIII in 1902, designed by architect Costantino Sneider, and later inaugurated by St Pius X on 28 March 1905, a little echo of Lourdes in the heart of the Vatican.

It was here, on the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes and the World Day of the Sick, that Pope Leo XIV met with a group of sick pilgrims. In that quiet and prayerful setting, he reminded them that Our Lady shows us how to understand suffering through love and how love transforms even our heaviest crosses.

11Feb

In 1854, Pope Pius IX solemnly proclaimed the dogma of the Immaculate Conception

11 Feb, 2026 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

In 1854, Pope Pius IX solemnly proclaimed the dogma of the Immaculate Conception. Just a few years later, in 1858, a young girl named Bernadette Soubirous experienced a series of apparitions at Lourdes. During one of these, on 25th March, the lady revealed her identity with the words, “I am the Immaculate Conception.”

Bernadette was a sickly child from a poor family with little formal education in the faith. She knew only a few basic prayers and struggled to describe what she saw, speaking simply of a beautiful young lady dressed in white, wearing a blue sash, with a rosary and golden roses on her feet. The lady treated Bernadette with great gentleness and respect, speaking to her with dignity.

Through Bernadette’s humility, Mary renewed the faith of countless people. Pilgrims soon began travelling to Lourdes from across France and beyond. In 1862, the Church officially recognised the authenticity of the apparitions, and devotion to Our Lady of Lourdes quickly spread throughout the world.

Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us.

11Feb

Gospel

11 Feb, 2026 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

Gospel
Mark 7:14-23
‘The things that come out of a person are what defile him.’

At that time: Jesus called the people to him again and said to them, ‘Hear me, all of you, and understand: There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him.’ And when he had entered the house and left the people, his disciples asked him about the parable. And he said to them, ‘Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him, since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?’ Thus he declared all foods clean. And he said, ‘What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.’

10Feb

Gospel

10 Feb, 2026 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

Gospel
Mark 7:1-13
‘You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.’

At that time: When the Pharisees gathered to Jesus, with some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem, they saw that some of his disciples ate with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed. For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands properly, holding to the tradition of the elders, and when they come from the market-place, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other traditions that they observe, such as the washing of cups and pots and copper vessels and dining couches. And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, ‘Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?’ And he said to them, ‘Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, “This people honours me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.” You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.’
And he said to them, ‘You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition! For Moses said, “Honour your father and your mother”; and, “Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.” But you say, “If a man tells his father or his mother, ‘Whatever you would have gained from me is Corban’ ” (that is, given to God) — then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother, thus making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And many such things you do.’

09Feb

Students (and all aged 18-40) are welcome to join the Young Adults Group at St Mary's St Mary's Catholic Cathedral, Edinburgh to...

09 Feb, 2026 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

Students (and all aged 18-40) are welcome to join the Young Adults Group at St Mary's St Mary's Catholic Cathedral, Edinburgh tomorrow (Tuesday, 10 February) for a talk by Fr Paul Denney of Motherwell Diocese. Meet at 63 York Place at 7:00pm for teas/coffees, with the talk at 7:30pm.

09Feb

The Holy See has officially confirmed that the cause of Venerable Archbishop Fulton J

09 Feb, 2026 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

The Holy See has officially confirmed that the cause of Venerable Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen may now proceed to beatification. The next step will be the celebration at which he will be declared Blessed.

Born in Illinois in 1895 and ordained for the Diocese of Peoria, Sheen became a well-known Catholic voice during the twentieth century. As a priest and later a bishop, he embraced the growing influence of radio and television to share the Gospel with a wide audience, most notably through his programme Life Is Worth Living. At a time when faith-based broadcasting was still developing, he demonstrated how modern media could be used thoughtfully and effectively in the service of Christ.

Rooted in a deep devotion to the Eucharist and to Our Lady, his ministry drew countless people into a deeper encounter with Jesus.

https://www.ewtnnews.com/world/us/fulton-sheen-beatification

09Feb

Lord Jesus, please help us to be good disciples

09 Feb, 2026 | Missio Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

Lord Jesus, please help us to be good disciples

#MissiosMondayPrayer

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