The Bishops' Conference of Scotland

13th April 2026

05 April 2026

Peace and Dialogue: the Gospel Response to Conflict

The Bishops of Scotland today renew their urgent appeal to political leaders across the world to pursue peace with courage, determination, and sincerity. In a time marked by deepening conflict and human suffering, particularly in the Middle East, Ukraine, Sudan and South Sudan, the need for dialogue and diplomatic solutions has never been more pressing.

War brings devastation, loss, and division. It leaves lasting wounds in families, communities, and nations, and it disproportionately harms the innocent. The Bishops call on all those in positions of authority to reject the path of escalation and instead commit themselves to meaningful dialogue, patient negotiation, and the difficult but necessary work of peacebuilding.

The Bishops express their gratitude to Pope Leo for his clear and consistent voice in calling for peace. His leadership continues to be a guiding light for the Church and the world at this critical time.

Reflecting on the Holy Father’s recent Vigil for Peace held last Saturday, the Bishops highlight his powerful words:
“Let us silence the weapons, so that the voice of humanity may be heard. Let us choose encounter over confrontation, and the courage of peace over the illusion of power.”

The Bishops of Scotland invite Catholics across our country to join the Holy Father in this appeal. In parishes, homes, and communities, we continue to pray fervently for an end to violence and for the triumph of justice and reconciliation.

The Bishops urge all people of goodwill to stand together in hope. Peace is not beyond reach - but it requires genuine humility, courage, and a shared commitment to the dignity of every human life.

As the Holy Father begins his apostolic journey to several countries in Africa as a missionary of peace, we assure him of our continued prayers and solidarity.

Image: Pope Leo XIV by Edgar Beltrán / Wikimedia Commons

20th March 2026

20 March 2026

Statement from the Bishops' Conference of Scotland

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

Following a request from the Holy See, the Bishops of Scotland have been invited to reflect on how the structures of the Church in our country can best serve her mission in the years ahead, specifically whether the present situation of eight dioceses is suitable.

We are all aware of the challenges before us — fewer clergy, changing patterns of practice, and increasing pressures on our diocesan resources, among other things. Yet our mission remains unchanged: to proclaim the Gospel and to lead our people to Christ.

Two possible pathways are being proposed for careful discernment: developing deeper cooperation and the sharing of resources across dioceses within our present structures, or the merging of some dioceses.

In order to best inform ourselves and the Holy See, each bishop will engage with his diocese over the coming months for the first part of this process. Everyone will be given the opportunity to pray, reflect, and contribute.

Following-on from the presentation of a discussion paper, responses from each diocese will contribute to the initial findings which will be given to the Holy See in the Autumn.

This is not simply an administrative exercise. It is a pastoral and missionary response to our changing landscape. This process will ensure our Church in Scotland will continue to grow ever more missionary, more Christ-centred, and more collaborative in the service of God’s people.

Entrusting this work to the guidance of the Holy Spirit and to the intercession of Our Lady, we move forward together with confidence and renewed hope.

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.

Members of The Bishops' Conference of Scotland

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Luke is the evangelist of prayer, offering frequent hints about it. In his Gospel Jesus is explicitly mentioned as being in prayer more often than in any other, at the Baptism, the Transfiguration, when called upon to teach his disciples the Lord’s Prayer (3.21; 6.12; 11.1). The Agony in the Garden is shaped to show the need for prayer in time of testing (22.40). In the Infancy Narratives his characters burst into prayerful praise on every occasion, and from these we derive the three great canticles of the Church, the Magnificat, the Benedictus and the Nunc dimittis. His parables insist on the need for perseverance in prayer, especially the parables of the Friend at Midnight (11.5-8) and the Unjust Judge (18.1-5). Their motives may not be perfect: the Friend at Midnight eventually caves in because he does not want to be shamed for inhospitable behaviour when the whole village hears the hammering on the door. And the appellant to the Unjust Judge seems to be on the edge of violence, threatening to hit the Judge in the face! But the message is to persevere!
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⚖️Completing the work begun by Pope Francis, Dilexi te offers a profound reflection on the societal structures that keep people in poverty by challenging economic systems that entrench inequality and injustice.

❤️The Holy Father reaffirms the Church’s duty to exercise a preferential option for the poor and vulnerable, one of the core principles of Catholic Social Teaching; this means prioritising the needs not only of those in material poverty, but of all who are marginalized, including prisoners, migrants, and the sick.

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