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

June 2025

19Jun

Archbishop Cushley and other Bishops celebrated Mass at Holyrood yesterday to pray for our politicians and our country🙏

19 Jun, 2025 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

Archbishop Cushley and other Bishops celebrated Mass at Holyrood yesterday to pray for our politicians and our country🙏

19Jun

STATEMENT FROM BISHOP KEENAN President of BCOS on the barbaric vote to decriminalise abortion (NB abortion until birth already t...

19 Jun, 2025 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

STATEMENT FROM BISHOP KEENAN President of BCOS on the barbaric vote to decriminalise abortion (NB abortion until birth already takes place legally in some cases)

"Unfortunately, MPs have voted in support of Tonia Antoniazzi’s amendment which begins the reality of the decriminalisation of ‘abortion up to birth’. Notably, the vote took place after less than two hours of debate, and without public consultation.

"The amendment will change the law so that it is no longer illegal for women to perform their own abortions for any reason—including sex-selective purposes—at any point up to and during birth. It is likely to lead to an increase in the number of women performing dangerous late-term abortions at home.

"At the same time, another even more extreme amendment did not go to a vote and will not be able to become law, which would have allowed abortion on demand, for any reason, up to birth in abortion centres and hospitals, removing the time limit, the two-doctor rule and a series of other safeguards provided by the Abortion Act, and which would have made the UK the world's most extreme in terms of abortion law.

"I urge everyone to do all you can to help challenge this amendment in the House of Lords, and I ask you never to give up hoping that the dignity of all human life—from conception until natural death—will be upheld and defended on our shores, and to commit to the support of those who find themselves in difficulty in pregnancy so they can find all the help they need in choosing to keep their babies.

"I am so very grateful to all who engaged with their MPs on this matter to ask them to vote against this amendment, and to all who struggle every day to defend the rights of the unborn in our society and across the world. May God reward your efforts."

18Jun

Ten years today, we first read Laudato si', Pope Francis' encyclical on care for our common home

18 Jun, 2025 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

Ten years today, we first read Laudato si', Pope Francis' encyclical on care for our common home. Here is the first reaction to it that we published, by Fr Damian Howard SJ. https://www.thinkingfaith.org/articles/laudato-si%E2%80%99-seismic-event-dialogue-between-catholic-church-and-ecology

18Jun

📬 Our latest newsletter is live: have you read it yet?

18 Jun, 2025 | Justice & Peace Scotland | Justice & Peace Scotland Facebook |

📬 Our latest newsletter is live: have you read it yet?

🧡As we mark Refugee Week, take a moment to read our reflection on what Catholic Social Teaching says about welcoming the stranger, standing with displaced people, and offering safety and sanctuary to those in need.

🕊️Plus you’ll find updates on our latest work and ways you can get involved.

👇Read the full newsletter on our website now, link in comments below.

18Jun

St Mary's University, Twickenham, invites people from across Scotland to study Applied Catholic Theology (MA) from its campus at...

18 Jun, 2025 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

St Mary's University, Twickenham, invites people from across Scotland to study Applied Catholic Theology (MA) from its campus at The Gillis Centre in Edinburgh. The two year, part-time course is a partnership with the Archdiocese of St Andrews & Edinburgh.

18Jun

Mother Teresa @ National Prayer Breakfast

18 Jun, 2025 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

https://youtu.be/OXn-wf5ylgo?si=0BFU9w3BFgnwu9Op

Mother Teresa courageously speaks—in front of pro-abortion Clinton and Gore—about the unborn and about abortion: "But I feel that the greatest destroyer of p...

18Jun

“St Mother Teresa said

18 Jun, 2025 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

“St Mother Teresa said
I feel that the greatest destroyer of peace today is abortion, because it is a war against the child, a direct killing of the innocent child, murder by the mother herself. And if we accept that a mother can kill even her own child, how can we tell other people not to kill one another? How do we persuade a woman not to have an abortion? As always, we must persuade her with love and we remind ourselves that love means to be willing to give until it hurts. Jesus gave even His life to love us. So, the mother who is thinking of abortion, should be helped to love, that is, to give until it hurts her plans, or her free time, to respect the life of her child. The father of that child, whoever he is, must also give until it hurts.

“By abortion, the mother does not learn to love, but kills even her own child to solve her problems. And, by abortion, that father is told that he does not have to take any responsibility at all for the child he has brought into the world. The father is likely to put other women into the same trouble. So abortion just leads to more abortion. Any country that accepts abortion is not teaching its people to love, but to use any violence to get what they want. This is why the greatest destroyer of love and peace is abortion.”

She concluded her speech with words of hope, and a reminder that we are called to use our freedom for higher purposes than murder:

“If we remember that God loves us, and that we can love others as He loves us, then America can become a sign of peace for the world. From here, a sign of care for the weakest of the weak -- the unborn child -- must go out to the world. If you become a burning light of justice and peace in the world, then really you will be true to what the founders of this country stood for. God bless you!”

18Jun

Parliament votes to legalise abortion up to birth | ICN

18 Jun, 2025 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

https://www.
A tragic day for humanity
A society that kills its children up to the seconds before a child is born is barbaric. In a world where innocent people are killed every day, life has become cheap and yet politicians in the UK are now contributing to this mentality. Assisted suicide is next. God help us all 🙏

Church leaders and pro-life groups have reacted with grave concern to a vote in the House of Commons passing an amendment on the decr...

17Jun

A post from Bishops' Conference of Scotland

17 Jun, 2025 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

17Jun

The Silent Majority: Why Most People Are More Pro-Life Than They Realise | Parliament Politics Magazine

17 Jun, 2025 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

One of the most striking things about working in the pro-life movement is how often we’re told our views are “extreme” or “out of touch.” Yet, when you