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

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 tag: Bishops' Conference of ScotlandReturn
October 2025
https://aleteia.org/2018/11/01/should-catholics-celebrate-halloween/


This holiday has Catholic roots, but not all Catholics are comfortable with its modern form. Here's our take. This holiday has Catholic roots, but not all Catholics are comfortable with its modern form. Here's our take.
Read More
https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2025-10/nostra-aetate-interreligious-dialogue-general-audience.html


During his catechesis as part of the Wednesday General Audience, Pope Leo XIV highlights the importance of Jewish-Catholic relations and of not ...
Read More



November begins on Saturday and the Church invites us to pray especially for all the faithful departed — our loved ones and all souls in purgatory — that they may be purified and welcomed into the fullness of God’s presence.

▪ FRIDAY: St Patrick's Church, Edinburgh has organised a Candlelight Procession at 8:30pm with the Statue of Our Lady of Fatima, followed by a Holy Hour of Reparation, a prayerful alternative to the usual Halloween festivities.

▪ SUNDAY: ALL SAINTS
On both Sat and Sun, you can venerate relics of saints in the National Shrine of St Andrew at St Mary's Catholic Cathedral, Edinburgh. The Cathedral is open Saturday 8:30am-7:30pm and Sunday 8:30am-8:30pm.

▪ MONDAY: ALL SOULS
Archbishop Cushley will offer Holy Mass for the repose of all the faithful departed at 10:00am in Mount Vernon Cemetery Chapel, 49 Mount Vernon Rd, Edinburgh, EH16 6JG.
Read More



Pope Leo has signed his second papal document since his election, an apostolic letter titled “Drawing New Maps of Hope,” commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council’s Gravissimum Educationis, the Declaration on Catholic Education. The letter acknowledges that we live in a complex, fragmented, and digitalized educational environment, and highlights the urgent need to renew the Church's commitment to promoting and providing a Christian, integral education. The Holy Father also designated St. John Henry Newman as the official co-patron saint of education, together with St. Thomas Aquinas. As millions of children still lack access to basic education, and as educational crises are caused by war, migration, inequality, and poverty, this work is more essential than ever:
https://youtu.be/rGuCvLFyOpw
Read More
https://www.vaticannews.va/en/church/news/2025-10/hope-story-ukraine-women-mother-children-fathers-soldiers-war.html


Olena Mosendz, a young Ukrainian mother whose husband is fighting at the front, tells Vatican News what life is like for the many women trying to ...
Read More



Today we had the great joy of celebrating the 100th birthday of our dear Mother Mary of the Resurrection. His Grace Archbishop Leo Cushley celebrated Mass in our chapel, and stayed and talked with us afterwards, which we enjoyed very much. In the afternoon, we gave Mother some gifts, chief of which was an apostolic blessing from His Holiness Pope Leo. Tomorrow we will put more photos and information on our website, as there hasn't been time today. It has been quite busy, but Mother seems to have thrived on it! We thank God for her spirit of prayer, her fidelity to her vocation, and her unfailing cheerfulness.
Read More



The Candlelight Procession takes place tomorrow (Thur 30 Oct) in Glasgow.

It commemorates all those lost to abortion since the 1967 Abortion Act and is a time to reflect, pray, and honour every one of those innocent lives.
Read More
Page 30 of 189 [30]