• fortrose1
  • ayr2
  • edinburgh1
  • glasgow1
  • paisley1
  • Slider1
  • oban1
  • Slider1
  • ayr1
  • edinburgh2

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.

Being Catholic TV

Members of The Bishops' Conference of Scotland

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
October 2025
Feast of St Gerard Majella


We Redemptorists, friends and collaborators celebrate the feast of a Brother, Saint Gerard Majella, one of the most popular and beloved Redemptorist saints. ...
Read More



Join us in Glasgow for an evening of remembrance.
SPUC’s Candlelight Procession commemorates all those lost to abortion since the 1967 Abortion Act - a time to reflect, pray, and honour every one of those innocent lives 🕯️

Thursday 30 October 2025:
6:30pm – Procession from John Street (City Chambers) to St. Andrew’s Cathedral
7:00pm – Rosary in the Cathedral
7:30pm – Holy Mass with Fr. Paul Denney
Read More



Members of the Ambrosian Society (former students of the Scots College Spain) gathered for their annual Mass and AGM today at St Bartholomew’s in Coatbridge with Mass celebrated by Bishop John Keenan.
Read More
Recently Bishop Gilbert represented the Catholic Church in Scotland at the 700th Anniversary of the Scottish Farm at Grisy- Suisnes outside Paris. This property was purchased by the Bishop of Moray in 1325 to provide a bursary for Scottish students studying at the Univ of Paris, The work of the Fondation Ecossaise continues this practice of financially supporting Catholic students in France with monies given to the Church in lieu of the Scots' College Paris, that was closed at the revolution. Mass was also celebrated in the chapel of the Scots' College near the Pantheon.









Read More
Feast of St Edward the Confessor
He became King of England in 1042. He was regarded as a saint during his lifetime, renowned for his generosity to the Church and to the poor and for his readiness to listen to his subjects’ grievances. He died on 5 January 1066, the last of the old Anglo-Saxon line, and his death precipitated the dynastic quarrels that led to the conquest of England by William of Normandy later the same year. On 13 October 1163 his relics were translated to a new shrine in Westminster Abbey.

Read More
The National Office for Marriage, Family and Life look forward to welcoming all who have booked places at our National Family Conference.

Read More

When this happens, it's usually because the owner only shared it with a small group of people, changed who can see it or it's been deleted.
Read More
Page 34 of 188 [34]