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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.

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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

September 2025
📢SAVE THE DATE: Join us for the Scotland Demands Better march!

🗓️ Saturday 25th October
📍 Edinburgh - leaving from the Scottish Parliament

Over 1 million people in Scotland are living in poverty. We're joining hundreds of people and organisations marching in Edinburgh to demand better jobs, better investment, and better social security.

More details on our meeting point and exact time to follow. Let's come together to demand a Scotland where all can live with dignity.

Read More
🎥 "Palestinian Life Under Israel’s Illegal Occupation" - A powerful new video series produced by Palestinians calling on the world to witness and act.

💬"What about the West Bank?"
This was the question heard many times by Justice & Peace Scotland's Anne-Marie Clements when she visited the Holy Land earlier this year.

Palestinians she spoke with in the villages of Bethlehem, Aboud, Taybeh and Ramallah were fearful that as the world's eyes watch the horrors unfolding in Gaza, the actions of the Israeli occupation in the West Bank would worsen and go unnoticed.

From land confiscation, to settler violence, home demolitions, military check points and water control, Israel's illegal occupation is consistently uprooting and disrupting Palestinian lives.

Over the coming days we will be sharing short clips produced by Palestinians showing the struggles of daily life in the occupied West Bank.

This is the reality. This is their voice. 📢

#WestBank #StopSettlements #EndTheOccupation
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.
Read More
Yesterday at St Costanzo Perugia

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📢JOIN US FOR SCOTLAND DEMANDS BETTER

Justice & Peace Scotland is proud to join the Scotland Demands Better campaign in collaboration with over 100 partners in The Poverty Alliance.

🪧On Saturday 25th October we will be joining the Scotland Demands Better March in Edinburgh under the Justice & Peace Scotland banner and we are asking all our supporters to come together to demand a Scotland where all can live with dignity.

Over 1 million people in Scotland are living in poverty, including more than one in five children. This is not the vision of society we strive for in seeking to realise dignity and the common good for all as envisioned in Catholic Social Teaching.

The SDB campaign is asking for:
🔹Better jobs for everyone who needs one with fair conditions and wages that pay the bills.
🔹Better investment for life's essentials: like affordable homes, good public transport, a thriving natural environment and strong public services.
🔹Better social security so that all of us have a foundation for the future.

🗓️SAVE THE DATE NOW to join us this October in calling for a Scotland where everyone can thrive!
🕤The march will leave from the Scottish Parliament around 9.30-10am and proceed up the Royal Mile and along George IV Bridge to The Meadows.
🎤There we'll have a family-friendly rally with a festival feel, including music, speeches, and entertainment.
📍Nearer the time we will share our exact assembly point and meeting time so please keep an eye on our social media or join our mailing list.

Let's come together to show that Scotland Demands Better for all!

Read More
https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2025-09/pope-leo-saints-call-us-to-god-make-masterpieces-of-our-lives.html


Addressing over eighty thousand faithful filling Saint Peter’s Square on Sunday for the Mass with the canonization of Pier Giorgio Frassati and Carlo ...
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As Bishop Frank waits with other bishops to celebrate canonisation of news saints, he finds himself near statue of an earlier Saint who has had his influence on our diocese: St Marcelin Champagnat, founder of the Marists who founded St Joseph's College in Dumfries.
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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.
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Today the National pilgrimage visited Perugia and celebrated Mass in the church of St Costanzo a martyr during the first persecutions and patron of Perugia 🙏





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Speakers from Eco Congregation Scotland Rev David Coleman and Stephen Curran, who joined Archbishop Nolan and the Care of Creation agency at the annual Season of Creation Conference in Stirling today

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