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The Bishops' Conference of Scotland

Pope Francis RIP


17th December 1936 – 21st April 2025

May he rest in peace


Message of Bishop Keenan President of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland

It was with deep sadness that we woke to the news that Pope Francis has died and we share in the sense of loss of millions of people across the world. It is a consolation to us that he went to the LORD on Easter Monday and the great Easter Day as a sort of first fruits of the salvation which the Risen Christ shares with His Church.

We thank GOD for the Pope’s service which was always human and humble in its informal style and with a message of GOD’s universal love and unconditional mercy that brought hope to so many.

A man of the poor who lived simply, Pope Francis was a voice for the voiceless and all those who find themselves on the margins in our world. A man of peace, he called the Church to listen to everyone, to move forward together as a family, to find a conciliatory approach to those of different beliefs and lifestyles, for an end to conflicts across the world and for the care of Creation as GOD’s precious gift to humanity.

He gave of himself to the end, offering up his final illness with serenity, his last acts being to visit Rome’s prison on Holy Thursday and to wish the crowds gathered in Saint Peter’s a Happy Easter.

We pray he will be enjoying the full fruits of the Resurrection, resting from his work, his good deeds going with him.
May he rest in peace.
Bishop John Keenan

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

https://www.holyyear2025.org.uk

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

News from the Commissions and Agencies

Archive by tag: Bishops' Conference of ScotlandReturn
December 2024
https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2024-12/pope-francis-december-prayer-intention-jubilee-pilgrims.html


Pope Francis releases his prayer intention for the month of December, and invites Christians to pray that each of us may become pilgrims of hope as a ...
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"We stand for truth, in a world besotted by fashionable public opinion ... we stand up for life in a secular culture of death."

Bishop John Keenan spoke at the Advent Rosary for Life which is online each Monday at 7:45pm.

▪️Register at bit.ly/adventrosary

Full reflection at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eulaV2d2QNw

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At the midday Angelus on the first Sunday of Advent, Pope Francis encourages us to turn our gaze to heaven and to open our hearts to the Lord who ...
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Sunday 1 December 2024 St Nicholas made his first seasonal stop to visit the children of the Holy Family Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral in London. What a joyful visit and concert it was!

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Dear Brothers and Sisters.

On the First Sunday of Advent all parishes in Scotland will begin using our new translation of the Lectionary, taken from the English Standard Version Catholic Edition of the Bible (published 2018). This new translation has been chosen by the Bishops of Scotland, and the Bishops of England and Wales, and approved by the Dicastery for Divine Worship in the Vatican for the proclamation of God’s Word to His People at Mass.

During the celebration of Mass, the privileged moment in which the Lord Jesus speaks directly to the hearts of all who are gathered is the Liturgy of the Word. When the Sacred Scriptures are proclaimed at Mass, the Lord God addresses each one of us, offering us a word of encouragement, consolation, and grace. To receive this gift, it is necessary to be attentive, humble, and docile to the Word of God addressed to us. Our Lectionary is the liturgical means that this gift of God’s Word is carried over to His people.

Recently my brother Bishop, Hugh Gilbert of the Diocese of Aberdeen, spoke of the Lectionary as ‘a bridge by which the biblical Word of God crosses over to believers gathered for worship. It bottles the wine of Scripture, as it were, for it to be served at the Table of the Word. When its words are read it is as if they are poured into the glasses of the faithful, each according to the measure of faith given them, and so imbibed.’

This is a heartening image and speaks to the richness and invigorating effects of Sacred Scripture: lifting our hearts and minds to contemplate God who has revealed Himself to us, whilst recalling that such a grace must be received with humility and gratitude for what it is – a gift of God.

All the readings we will hear throughout the Liturgical Year are the same portions of Scripture we know and are accustomed to, yet this new translation offers the opportunity to read them with fresh eyes, to hear them with attentive ears, and to receive them as a pure and inexhaustible gift from God. As St Ephraim once said, ‘within Sacred Scripture God has buried manifold treasures, so that each of us might grow rich in seeking them out.’

God’s Word has the power not only to address us directly, but also to penetrate our very depths, casting its light and clarity to the far reaches of our being, and to carry us forward and upward to God. As the Letter to the Hebrews puts it, ‘the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart’ (4:12).

It is my confident hope and prayer that is new translation of the Sacred Scriptures will be an opportunity for all of us, the People of God, ministered to by our priests and deacons, to ponder anew the inestimable gift the Lord God has bestowed upon us through His Word, and so grow in knowledge, love, and devotion of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who is revealed to us on every page of His Holy Word.

With my prayers and best wishes as we look forward to Advent.
Yours in Christ,

+ Joseph Toal
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As the Church marks the First Sunday of Advent, Jenny Kraska offers her thoughts on the day’s liturgical readings under the theme: “Keep Calm & Advent ...
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Today we start our Advent journey, the importance of Advent is found in its invitation to pause amidst the hustle and occasional chaos of the holiday season. It encourages us to reflect and spiritually prepare for the coming of Jesus.
This time allows us to examine our hearts, seek forgiveness, and get ready to embrace the joy of Christmas with open spirits. Each week's themes during this season help to realign priorities, nurture faith, and foster a sense of community as families and congregations unite in celebration.
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November 2024
https://www.thenational.scot/politics/
Majority of Scottish MPs voted against


PLANS to introduce assisted dying in England and Wales have cleared their first parliamentary stages.
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