❗Archbishop Nolan, President of Justice & Peace Scotland, has joined with the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland to issue a joint statement expressing their sorrow at the loss of life after a missile struck the Holy Family Parish Church in Gaza.

Three people are reported to have died and several others, including Fr Gabriel Romanelli, were injured when the Holy Family Church, the only Catholic Church in Gaza, was struck by the Israeli military today.

Fr Gabiel’s 2024 visit to Glasgow was marked by the joint signing of the declaration “From Glasgow to Gaza: A Cry for Peace in the Holy Land” by the Archbishop and the then Moderator, Very Rev. Sally Foster-Fulton. Today’s joint statement, issued by Rt Rev Rosie Frew and Most Rev William Nolan, echoes the declaration and says:

"We join today to express our profound sorrow at the loss of life and the injuries sustained following a missile strike on the Holy Family Parish Church in Gaza. Further, we echo the words of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV in his call for a ceasefire, and his 'profound hope for dialogue, reconciliation, and enduring peace in the region."

"We recall the visit to Glasgow by Fr Gabriel Romanelli, priest of the Holy Family Parish, in April 2024 and the Declaration: "From Glasgow to Gaza: A Cry for Peace in the Holy Land" signed on that occasion.

"The Declaration concluded: 'Today we cry out to all people in positions of power to end this senseless violence. We pray to Almighty God that their hearts may be turned towards compassion, and that they may have the courage and wisdom to pursue the path of justice and peace for all who call the Holy Land home'.

"We reflect on the continued relevance of these words and we renew the call for a permanent ceasefire and the pursuit of "the path of justice and peace".

+Most Rev William Nolan, Archbishop of Glasgow and President of Justice & Peace Scotland
Rt Rev Rosie Frew, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland

🚌BOOK YOUR BUS SEAT TO FASLANE❗

On Saturday 2nd August, Christians from across traditions will gather at Faslane Naval Base to mark the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

This ecumenical vigil is a moment of prayer, reflection, and witness to call for peace and nuclear disarmament.

✝️ Led by:
• Most Rev. William Nolan: Archbishop of Glasgow and President of Justice & Peace Scotland
• Rt Rev. Rosie Frew: Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland.
• Most Rev. Mark Strange: Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church.

🚌 A free bus is provided from Edinburgh and Glasgow but seats are limited!
📍 Edinburgh: Waterloo Place (Waverley Station), leaving at 7.45am.
📍 Glasgow: Gordon Street (Central Station), leaving at 9.15am.
📧 Email office@justiceandpeacescotland.org.uk to book.

🚗If you want to make your own way to Faslane there is limited car parking available.

🕊️Whether you’ve joined us before or this would be your first time, you are warmly invited to attend and participate in this Christian witness for peace.

📢NO TO NUCLEAR WEAPONS❗

Join us for a Christian ecumenical peace vigil on Saturday 2nd August, 10.30am-12.00pm at Faslane Naval Base as we mark the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

This act of public witness will include prayer, readings, reflection and song, led by:

✝️Most Rev. William Nolan - Archbishop of Glasgow and President of Justice & Peace Scotland.
✝️Rt Rev. Rosie Frew - Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
✝️Most Rev. Mark Strange - Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church

Justice & Peace Scotland along with members of The Iona Community will gather in faith to call for nuclear disarmament and raise our voices and prayers for peace. As Christians, we are called to be peacemakers and to uphold the dignity of every human life. Nuclear weapons are fundamentally incompatible with this call, threatening indiscriminate destruction and a future built on fear and power-wielding rather than on fraternity amongst nations.

🚌 FREE bus available from Edinburgh and Glasgow:
🔹Departing Edinburgh, Waterloo Place (beside Waverley Station), 7.45am
🔹Departing Glasgow, Gordon Street (beside Central Station), 9.15am
📧 To reserve a seat, email: office@justiceandpeacescotland.org.uk

All are welcome!

📬 Our latest newsletter is live: have you read it yet?

🧡As we mark Refugee Week, take a moment to read our reflection on what Catholic Social Teaching says about welcoming the stranger, standing with displaced people, and offering safety and sanctuary to those in need.

🕊️Plus you’ll find updates on our latest work and ways you can get involved.

👇Read the full newsletter on our website now, link in comments below.

🧡 REFUGEE WEEK 2025: 16TH - 22ND JUNE

📜Claiming asylum is a human right, enshrined in the customs and treaties of international law to which the UK is party. Yet too often those fleeing violence, oppression, and persecution are met not with compassion but with hostility and are scapegoated as the cause of our societal problems rather than recognised as people seeking sanctuary and hope.

📖Catholic Social Teaching has long affirmed the rights of refugees and migrants. From the apostolic constitution Exsul Familia Nazarethana of Pius XII in 1952 to today, the Church has consistently called on nations to protect those forced to flee their homes.

🇻🇦Pope Francis challenged Christians to reject the prevailing attitudes of indifference and hostility towards migrants and refugees in his 2020 papal encyclical Fratelli Tutti:

💬“Migrants are not seen as entitled like others to participate in the life of society, and it is forgotten that they possess the same intrinsic dignity as any person… No one will ever openly deny that they are human beings, yet in practice, by our decisions and the way we treat them, we can show that we consider them less worthy, less important, less human.
For Christians, this way of thinking and acting is unacceptable since it sets certain political preferences above deep convictions of our faith: the inalienable dignity of each human person regardless of origin, race or religion, and the supreme law of fraternal love.”

🦺Many of those arriving on UK shores by irregular routes like small boat crossings do so not by choice but because there are no safe or accessible alternatives. If the UK provided more secure and fair pathways for people to claim asylum, these dangerous journeys would not be necessary.

🕊️Justice & Peace Scotland has consistently advocated for a fairer, more humane asylum system and added our voice to the call for greater welcome, safety, and sanctuary for refugees who are first and foremost our sisters and brothers in Christ.

📢This Refugee Week, we continue to stand in solidarity with those forced to flee their homes and encourage our supporters to speak out for a more compassionate asylum system, to challenge the language of fear and division, and to welcome the stranger in our midst.