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

Archive by category: BCoS FacebookReturn

November 2025

23Nov

Who can tame Trump?

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

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/nov/23/who-can-tame-trump-pope-leo-xiv-catholic-church-usa

Inequality, immigration and civil rights are the battlegrounds on which the church, and some other Christian denominations, are fighting, says Guardian foreign affairs commentator Simon Tisdall

23Nov

The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, formerly referred to as "Christ the King," was established by Pope...

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

The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, formerly referred to as "Christ the King," was established by Pope Pius XI in 1925 as an antidote to secularism, a way of life which leaves God out of man's thinking and living and organizes his life as if God did not exist. The feast is intended to proclaim in a striking and effective manner Christ's royalty over individuals, families, society, governments, and nations.
Today's Mass establishes the titles for Christ's royalty over men: 1) Christ is God, the Creator of the universe and hence wields a supreme power over all things; "All things were created by Him"; 2) Christ is our Redeemer, He purchased us by His precious Blood, and made us His property and possession; 3) Christ is Head of the Church, "holding in all things the primacy"; 4) God bestowed upon Christ the nations of the world as His special possession and dominion.
Today's Mass also describes the qualities of Christ's kingdom. This kingdom is: 1) supreme, extending not only to all people but also to their princes and kings; 2) universal, extending to all nations and to all places; 3) eternal, for "The Lord shall sit a King forever"; 4) spiritual, Christ's "kingdom is not of this world." —Rt. Rev. Msgr. Rudolph G. Gandas
Today is the The Annual Global Celebration of Youth and Young Adults.

22Nov

The name of St

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

The name of St. Cecilia has always been most illustrious in the church, and ever since the primitive ages is mentioned with distinction in the canon of the Mass, and in the sacramentaries and calendars of the church. Her spouse Valerian, Tiburtius, and Maximus, an officer, who were her companions in martyrdom, are also mentioned in the same authentic and venerable writings.

https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/saints/cecilia-520

22Nov

Human Dignity is at the heart of Catholic Social Teaching

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

Human Dignity is at the heart of Catholic Social Teaching. The Church teaches that we are made in the image and likeness of God and that human life is sacred.
Each week we will reflect on a quote that demonstrates this vision for society.

22Nov

🩵DIGNITY NOT DETENTION🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

22 Nov, 2025 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS 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

21Nov

MSPs on the Scottish Parliament’s Health Committee have voted to allow doctors to initiate discussions about assisted suicide un...

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

MSPs on the Scottish Parliament’s Health Committee have voted to allow doctors to initiate discussions about assisted suicide under the proposed Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults Bill. This follows the rejection of several key safeguards designed to protect vulnerable people — including limits on eligibility, protections for those affected by poverty or poor housing, and transparency around complications from lethal drugs.

Allowing doctors to raise assisted suicide unprompted marks a serious shift in the doctor–patient relationship and increases the risk of subtle pressure being placed on those who are already vulnerable.

Contact your MSP today and make your voice heard:
👉 https://carenotkilling.scot/

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 |