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.

BISHOPS RESPOND TO SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT'S PALLIATIVE CARE CONSULTATION

Scotland’s Catholic Bishops: Scottish Government’s laudable draft strategy on palliative care stands in stark contrast to dangerous assisted suicide proposal

The Bishops’ Conference of Scotland has responded positively to Scottish Government proposals for a new strategy on palliative care.

In its submission to a recent consultation the bishops declared their support for the draft strategy, stating that the proposals “uphold the dignity of human life for those at the end of life, their families, and carers” and said that the “laudable” proposals “stand in stark contrast to the dangerous Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill” currently being considered by the Scottish Parliament.

The bishops said: “rather than being used to kill people, many of whom are vulnerable, public resources should be invested in helping people to live and to be more comfortable at the end of life.”

The bishops emphasised the crucial role of palliative care, declaring it to be “a precious and crucial instrument in the care of patients during terminal illness” and encouraged the government to ensure that a framework is in place to allow hospices to be appropriately funded to continue to deliver end-of-life care to all those who need it.

The bishops also stressed the importance of spiritual care and assistance for patients and their families at the end of life and called for such support to be a key element of a holistic approach to end-of-life care. Please see the full submission at the Catholic Parliamentary Office website

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

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News from the Commissions and Agencies

Archive by tag: Bishops' Conference of ScotlandReturn

March 2024

14Mar

Pope recognizes martyrdom of priest, 15 nuns killed during World War II - Vatican News

14 Mar, 2024 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2024-03/pope-francis-saints-decrees-metzger-nuns-soviet-union.html

Pope Francis authorizes the promulgation of several decrees recognizing the martyrdom of a priest guillotined in Nazi Germany and 15 German-born nuns ...

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14Mar

Pope Francis indicates ten themes for Synod Study Groups - Vatican News

14 Mar, 2024 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2024-03/pope-francis-indicates-to-cardinal-grech-ten-themes-for-synod.html

Pope Francis sends a letter to Cardinal Mario Grech, the Secretary General of the General Secretariat of the Synod, and outlines ten discussion points ...

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14Mar

Bishops’ Conference of Scotland Spring Meeting 2023 From Monday 11th till Wednesday 13th March, the Bishops of Scotland met at S...

14 Mar, 2024 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

Bishops’ Conference of Scotland Spring Meeting 2023
From Monday 11th till Wednesday 13th March, the Bishops of Scotland met at Schoenstatt Retreat Centre, Clachan of Campsie for their Spring meeting. Bishop Francis Dougan, newly ordained Bishop of Galloway, came along for the first time and also Canon Kevin Golden, Diocesan administrator of Dunkeld attended for the final time, prior to the episcopal ordination of Fr Martin Chambers on 27th April in Dundee. Also present were Bishop Kenneth Nowakowski, Bishop of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in the UK and Bishop Mar Joseph Srampickal of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy.
Topics discussed included current consultations at Holyrood regarding buffer zones and assisted suicide, ecumenism, including the recent joint pilgrimage of Catholic and Anglican Bishops to Rome and Canterbury for the Octave of Christian Unity, a presentation of the books of the new translation of the lectionary that will be launched in parishes from Advent 2024, by the publishers, the Catholic Truth Society, planning for national pilgrimages in Carfin and St Ninian’s Cave later in the summer, the training of seminarians, ongoing formation of the clergy, safeguarding, care of creation, the new Scottish Catholic Museum and Archive, marriage, family and life issues, Catholic education, the training of deacons and finance.
The Conference was also joined by Fr Bruno Le Peu, of the Paris Foreign Mission Society who spoke about the Catholic Hong Kong communities in Scotland and also by Shabir Beg of the Scottish Ahlul Bayt Society to mark the anniversary of Pope Francis’ visit to Iraq.
There was also the opportunity for the Conference to celebrate Mass in the Schoenstatt Shrine and pray for the Church in Scotland.

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12Mar

Fr. Faltas: We cannot close our eyes to children dying in Gaza - Vatican News

12 Mar, 2024 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/church/news/2024-03/fr-faltas-we-cannot-close-our-eyes-to-children-dying-in-gaza.html

In an interview with SIR news agency, the Vicar of the Custody of the Holy Land calls for immediate action to save children’s and mothers' lives in ...

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12Mar

Pakistan’s Christians still ‘living in fear’ after 2023 Punjab violence - Vatican News

12 Mar, 2024 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/church/news/2024-03/christians-pakistan-punjab-zafar-iqbal-interview.html

As Pope Francis invites the Church to pray during March for Christian martyrs, Fr. Zafar Iqbal highlights the difficulties facing Christians in ...

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12Mar

Pope Francis: Put God’s forgiveness at the centre of the Church - Vatican News

12 Mar, 2024 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2024-03/pope-francis-put-god-s-forgiveness-at-the-centre-of-the-church.html

Pope Francis presides over a penitential liturgy at Rome's St. Pius V Parish to open the "24 Hours for the Lord" initiative, and says confession puts ...

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12Mar

Pope calls for respect of the dignity of all women - Vatican News

12 Mar, 2024 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2024-03/pope-calls-for-respect-of-the-dignity-of-all-women.html

Remembering Friday's annual International Women's Day, Pope Francis expressed his nearness to all women, especially to those whose dignity is not ...

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12Mar

African Bishops: 'Stop plundering mineral and natural resources in Africa' - Vatican News

12 Mar, 2024 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/church/news/2024-03/secam-stop-plundering-mineral-and-natural-resources-in-africa.html

A seminar organized by the Symposium of the Episcopal Conference of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM), in collaboration with the Vatican Dicastery for ...

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10Mar

Living in the Light: Scott Hahn Reflects on the Fourth Sunday of Lent

10 Mar, 2024 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

https://stpaulcenter.com/audio/sunday-bible-reflections/living-in-the-light-scott-hahn-reflects-on-the-fourth-sunday-of-lent/

The Sunday readings in Lent have been showing us the high points of salvation history—God’s covenant with creation in the time of Noah; His promises to Abraham; the law He gave to Israel at Sinai.In today’s First Reading, we hear of the destruction of the kingdom established by God’s fin

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09Mar

Welcome! You are invited to join a webinar: Euthanasia: a warning from Canada. After registering, you will receive a confirmatio...

09 Mar, 2024 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

Alex Schadenberg is a Catholic from Canada and a world expert on the dangers of euthanasia. On Wednesday 13th March he’s going to explain why mistakes in Canada could easily happen in Scotland. Register here:

Alex Schadenberg is one of the world’s premier opponents of euthanasia and assisted suicide. With Liam McArthur MSP planning to publish his proposed Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill imminently, Alex will warn of the dangers of Scotland following the example of Canada in leg...

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