📰 BISHOPS’ STATEMENT ON SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT PLEDGE TO END THE TWO-CHILD BENEFIT CAP:

"The Catholic Bishops of Scotland have welcomed the Scottish Government’s vow to lift the two-child benefit cap, which could potentially result in benefits being paid out to families of 15,000 children. The bishops look forward to seeing more detail on how the Scottish Government intends to lift the cap and hope that it will be lifted as quickly as possible to allow more children and families to receive support they so badly need."

Scotland's bishops along with Justice & Peace Scotland have long been opposed to the UK government policy which unjustly targets families who are most in need.

Image credit: CBCEW

#JandPScotland

✨Congratulations to the Caritas Students from St Joseph's Parish Blantyre and St Anthony's and St Mark's Rutherglen who each hosted holy hours in their parishes this week as part of the Justice & Peace Scotland Parish Project they are working on for their Caritas Award.

✝️The group in St Joseph's have been learning, praying and acting around the theme of refugees and migrants and hosted a "Welcome The Stranger" holy hour for their parish on Tuesday evening. Thank you to Scottish Faiths Action for Refugees for helping the group learn more about refugees and the difficulties they face both in their own countries and once they get to the UK.

🙏In St Anthony's and St Mark's the young people have been exploring the issue of human trafficking and modern slavery. They were visited by Survivors of Human Trafficking in Scotland who told them how people end up trapped in situations of trafficking and about the work they do to recover people and help them rebuild their lives. On Wednesday the group hosted a holy hour dedicated to St Josephine Bakhita, the patron saint of victims and survivors of human trafficking, to pray for all trapped in modern slavery today.

💜Huge thanks and well done to all the Caritas young people involved and to the parish priests and volunteers who are working with us to pilot the Justice & Peace Scotland Caritas Parish Project in their parishes.

A huge well done and thank you to the Caritas students of St Anthony's and St Mark's Rutherglen who are participating in a Justice & Peace Scotland project on human trafficking as part of their Caritas Award. 👏

Last weekend and this weekend they spoke to parishioners at mass about the issue of human trafficking and this week they will host a holy hour to pray for all victims, survivors and perpetrators of human trafficking and modern slavery. 🙏

Did you know that every local authority in the country has recorded incidents of human trafficking? In the new year the Caritas group will facilitate an advocacy action in the parish to respond to the issue in Scotland. 📝

✝️Scotland will welcome Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, OFM, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, to the Archdiocese of St Andrews & Edinburgh on Sunday 1 December. He will preach at Holy Mass in St Mary's Catholic Cathedral at 7:30pm.

🕊️This is a unique chance to hear from the man appointed by Pope Francis to be the shepherd for Catholics in the Holy Land, to pray for peace and to show solidarity for those suffering due to the conflict.

💜 A huge thank you from all at Justice & Peace Scotland to everyone who turned out at the weekend, despite the weather, to advocate for justice and peace at home and abroad.

🪧SATURDAY 23RD NOV - A small group of supporters braved the rain, sleet, and snow to call for the UK government to end arms sales to Israel: ending the war in Gaza is of the upmost urgency if we are to have any hope of a just and lasting peace.

🪧SUNDAY 24TH NOV - Another group, including some who managed to thaw out from the day before, gathered at Dungavel Detention Centre to show solidarity with those detained in the facility: 15,864 people were indefinitely detained in 2023, alternatives that respect dignity and liberty must be pursued.

🧑‍🏫 Calling all teachers!

🌱 Is your school a Laudato Si School?

👕 Did you know that we offer "The Journey of a Cotton T-Shirt", a workshop exploring the environmental and human rights concerns of the fashion industry? We can travel across Scotland and our inputs can be tailored to suit senior Primary pupils all the way up to S6 or can be offered as a staff CLPL session.

📩Drop us a message to find out more and to book for 2025!