The Bishops' Conference of Scotland

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

At Christmas, Christians across Scotland gathered around the crib to contemplate the life of a vulnerable child; God entering our world as a baby in need of care, protection and love. Christmas places fragile human life at the centre of everything.

It is therefore unsettling that this season saw the first person in Scotland charged under the new so-called “buffer zone” law in Scotland; a law the Church believes curtails Scotland’s commitment to freedom of expression and conscience, and restricts critical voices from democratic debate in the public square.

The Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) (Scotland) Act 2024 establishes “buffer zones” of up to 200 metres around abortion facilities — currently around 30 locations across Scotland. Within those zones, any conduct deemed to “influence” a decision about abortion may be criminalised. That vague description should trouble anyone who values legal clarity or free expression.

The Catholic Church does not condone harassment or intimidation, but that was not the intention of this law. The Church has been clear: harassment, intimidation and obstruction are wrong and unacceptable. But Scotland already has robust laws to deal with harassment, public disorder and threatening behaviour and it is telling that, when consulted on the proposed new law, Police Scotland did not ask for more powers, and went as far to state in written evidence to Parliament that, “existing powers and offences are sufficient to address any unlawful behaviour in the vicinity of healthcare premises.” When parliaments introduce criminal offences where existing law is already sufficient, questions should be raised and alarm bells ring.

We oppose this law because it is disproportionate and undemocratic. It represents state overreach and curtails basic freedoms. The Church would similarly oppose legislation mandating buffer zones outside nuclear weapons facilities or refugee detention centres. This should concern every Scottish citizen, regardless of their views on abortion.

As the Parliamentary Officer for the Catholic Church in Scotland pointed out, women experiencing crisis pregnancies may be “denied the opportunity to freely speak to people and organisations who may be able to help them.” A law supposedly designed to protect choice risks doing the opposite — eliminating one side of a conversation and one set of choices altogether.

Even more troubling is what the legislation anticipates. Official documentation accompanying the Act acknowledges that the law envisages criminalising “praying audibly” and “silent vigils."

This is unprecedented in modern Scotland, and it is no wonder it has raised eyebrows around the world, with concerns raised around Scotland’s commitment to human rights and freedom of expression and religion.

The implications go further. The Act extends to private homes within designated zones. A pro-life poster displayed in a window, a conversation overheard, a prayer said by a window; all could, in principle, fall within the scope of criminal sanction. When asked directly whether praying by a window in your own home could constitute an offence, Gillian Mackay, the Scottish Green Party MSP, who spearheaded the legislation, replied: “That depends on who’s passing the window.” That sends a chill down the spine of anyone who cares about civil liberties. Criminal law that depends on the perception of a passer-by is certainly not the hallmark of a free Scottish society.

The law also potentially criminalises a person standing alone in a buffer zone without any visible expression of protest, but who is deemed by others to be offering a silent pro-life inspired prayer. Even Police Scotland expressed unease. Superintendent Gerry Corrigan told Parliament that policing thought is an area they “would stay clear of,” adding: “I do not think we could go down the road of asking people what they are thinking or what their thoughts are. That feels really uncomfortable.” Yet, this is the territory into which Scottish law now ventures. Bishop John Keenan, President of the Bishops’ Conference, noted that “none of the arguments made were able to get around the basic premise that Police Scotland had never asked for more powers.” and that the law is “draconian” and “unnecessary,” particularly considering its impact on people of faith.

Some parliamentarians attempted to mitigate the effects of the law— proposing a reasonableness defence, or exemptions for chaplains who might be criminalised for pastoral conversations. All amendments were rejected or withdrawn.

We support all those who, motivated by conscience and compassion, stand up for the right to life. It cannot be a crime to give our voice and our prayers to the unborn.

Christmas is the message that every human life has infinite dignity from its beginning. That truth is not confined to private thoughts. A society confident in its values does not fear opposing voices. It does not criminalise silent prayer. It does not ask its police or judges to peer into the minds of its citizens.

Scotland’s buffer zones law represents a profound shift in the relationship between the State and the individual — one that restricts free speech, free expression and freedom of religion in ways that should concern us all.

As we look to the child in the manger this Christmas and Epiphany, we are reminded that babies do not have a voice of their own. It is a shame that the State has now also curtailed the voices of ordinary citizens who advocate for them within its borders.

The Catholic Bishops of Scotland
6th January 2026

News from the Commissions and Agencies

November 2025

04Nov

Photos from Bishops' Conference of Scotland's post

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

The Bishops' Conference of Scotland has a new Coat of Arms created by one of the oldest heraldic courts in the world.

03Nov

🌎 MASS FOR THE COP30 CLIMATE SUMMIT

03 Nov, 2025 | Justice & Peace Scotland | Justice & Peace Scotland Facebook |

🌎 MASS FOR THE COP30 CLIMATE SUMMIT
🕐 Monday 10 November | 1:00pm
⛪St Andrew’s Cathedral, Glasgow

Join us as we come together to pray for all those taking part in the COP30 Climate Summit and for the care of our common home.

The Mass will be celebrated by Archbishop Nolan, hosted by the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland’s Care of Creation Office, and supported by Justice & Peace Scotland, SCIAF, and Scottish Catholic Education Service.

After Mass, join us for refreshments in Eyre Hall and a live video update from SCIAF’s Ben Wilson, reporting directly from COP30 in Brazil.

All are welcome!

03Nov

May the Choirs of Angels (Song of Farewell)

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

All Souls Day
We believe that Jesus died and rose again, and that it will be the same for those who have died in Jesus: God will bring them with him.

The beautiful memorial song, used in funerals, by Ernest Sands.Why not give remembrance in the comments below of someone you would dedicate this hymn to?The ...

02Nov

Photos from Being Catholic's post

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

02Nov

Today is the Solemnity of All Saints

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

Today is the Solemnity of All Saints. We honour the holy men and women who inspire us to live lives of faith, hope, and love.

All Saints, pray for us!

02Nov

A Reflection for the Feast of All Saints by Bishop Frank Dougan

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

https://mailchi.mp/84107d89bdd3/a-reflection-for-the-feast-of-all-saints-by-bishop-frank-dougan?e=d3c37a14a3

01Nov

58 years of legal abortion

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

58 years of legal abortion. 11 million unborn children killed. This tragedy cannot go unmarked. A big thank you to the many of you who joined SPUC in central Glasgow last night to remember the innocents who never got a chance at life beyond the womb 🕯💙

There will be a full report on the Candlelight Procession in this weekend's Heartbeat (youtube.com/@spuctv)

01Nov

A historic step for global solidarity!

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

A historic step for global solidarity!

This week the First Minister announced support for the “Cancel Debt, Choose Hope” campaign.

SCIAF's Advocacy Manager Line Christensen says:

"Debt is not just about money, it is about people, their health, education, and future. It is about justice. Scotland is showing that the voices of the Global South matter and I am so pleased with this commitment to Debt Justice."

Sign the petition today: https://campaign.sciaf.org.uk/canceldebt?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign&utm_content=ap_3jxsvwtfn2

01Nov

This content isn't available right now

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

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.

01Nov

The Office of Readings today

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

The Office of Readings today
From the dialogue On Divine Providence by Saint Catherine of Siena, virgin and doctor

How good and how delightful is your spirit, Lord, in all people!

The eternal Father, indescribably kind and tender, turned his eye to this soul and spoke to her thus:
‘O dearest daughter, I have determined to show my mercy and loving kindness to the world, and I choose to provide for mankind all that is good. But man, ignorant, turns into a death-giving thing what I gave in order to give him life. Not only ignorant, but cruel: cruel to himself. But still I go on providing. For this reason I want you to know: whatever I give to you I do it out of my great providence.
‘So it was that when, by my providence, I created you, I looked into myself and fell in love with the beauty of the creature I had made – for it had pleased me, in my providence, to create you in my own image and likeness.
‘Moreover, I gave you memory, to be able to remember the good things I had done for you and to be able to share in my own power, the power of the eternal Father.
‘Moreover, I gave you intellect, so that, seeing the wisdom of my Son, you could recognise and understand my own will; for I am the giver of all graces and I give them with a burning fatherly love.
‘Moreover, I gave you the desire to love, sharing in the tenderness of the Holy Spirit, so that you might love the things that your intellect had understood and seen.
‘But my kind providence did all this solely that you might be able to understand me and enjoy me, rejoicing in my vision for all eternity. And as I have told you elsewhere, the disobedience of your first parent Adam closed heaven to you – and from that disobedience came all evil through the whole world.
‘To relieve you of the death that his own disobedience had brought, I tenderly and providently gave you my only-begotten Son to heal you and bring satisfaction for your needs. I gave you the task of being supremely obedient, to free the human race of the poison that your first parent’s disobedience had spread throughout the world. Falling in love, as it were, with his task, and truly obedient, he hurried to a shameful death on the most holy Cross. By his most holy death he gave you life: not human life this time, but with the strength of his divinity.’