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.

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

Bishops’ Conference of Scotland announces Luisa Campbell as the next General Secretary

The Bishops of Scotland welcome Luisa Campbell to the office of General Secretary of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland from February 2026, when Fr. Gerry Maguiness completes his second term of office.

In parallel with her working career, Luisa has been actively involved in the life of the Church in Scotland at both parish and diocesan level in the areas of youth work, parish administration, liturgy, evangelisation, RCIA and finance.

Luisa retired early from work in 2020 to pursue her passion for voluntary work in the Catholic Church.

After gaining Master’s degrees in both Engineering and Business Administration, she worked for almost forty years in industry, ultimately as chief executive of a Scottish business which she led for over two decades. Her roles involved leadership, governance, strategy, commercial finance, mergers and acquisitions and organisational development.

During that time, she also acted as a trustee of several charities, served as a non-executive director and as trustee of a large pension scheme.

Luisa grew up in the diocese of Galloway and has lived in both the archdiocese of Glasgow and the diocese of Aberdeen. Her work has taken her to every diocese in Scotland.

She will be the first member of the lay faithful and first woman to take on the role of General Secretary.

Responding to her invitation from the bishops, Luisa said, ‘I look forward to serving the Bishops of Scotland in my new role as General Secretary, bringing together my experience in the Church and in the world of business.’

Bishop Keenan, President of the Bishops’ Conference said, ‘The bishops are delighted that Luisa has accepted this post and will continue the good work carried on by Fr. Gerry Maguiness over the past years. Luisa brings a wealth of experience both as a committed laywoman in the Church who has served our parishes and dioceses loyally over the years and who also has vast experience of life in the world and where she has made a fruitful contribution. We look forward to working with her in the service of the Church in Scotland in the years ahead’.

The Bishops of Scotland would like to take the opportunity of commending and thanking Fr. Gerry Maguiness for his wise, effective and tireless stewardship of the General Secretariat over the past six years. We wish him similar blessings as he takes up the office of parish priest of St. Bride’s in Cambuslang.

Bishop John Keenan
President, Bishops’ Conference of Scotland.

News from the Commissions and Agencies

April 2025

21Apr

Pope Francis's message was to be joyful, merciful and to look forward when lost

21 Apr, 2025 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

https://www.scotsman.com/news/opinion/columnists/pope-franciss-message-was-to-be-joyful-merciful-and-to-look-forward-when-lost-5092283

Father Gerard Maguiness, who met Pope Francis in February, writes about what the first Jesuit to be Supreme Pontiff meant to him

21Apr

A post from Bishops' Conference of Scotland

21 Apr, 2025 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

21Apr

Dear sisters and brothers in Christ,

21 Apr, 2025 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

Dear sisters and brothers in Christ,
I know that you will share in my deep sadness at the death of Pope Francis. May he rest in peace. Pope Francis was a true servant of the Lord and the People of God who, literally to the end, poured out his life for others. He was a great defender of the poor, the vulnerable and all those who were marginalised in any way. I had the privilege of being in his company several times and I was most impressed by his deep spirituality which obviously arose from a lifetime of reflective prayer. It is fitting that the Lord called him during the Easter Octave for he lived and witnessed continually to the Risen Christ. We are an Easter People and the Lord has called him to his eternal reward.
I will celebrate a diocesan Mass in our Cathedral for the repose of Pope Francis’ soul. The timing will be announced when the arrangements have been made. I know that you will keep Pope Francis in your prayers.
+Brian

21Apr

Letter from the Moderator of the Church of Scotland

21 Apr, 2025 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

Letter from the Moderator of the Church of Scotland
21 April 2025
Bishop John Keenan
President
Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Scotland
Dear + John,
On behalf of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, may I express my condolences to you
following the passing of His Holiness Pope Francis this morning. His life of service as a disciple of Jesus
Christ has resonated with all Christians, and his call to care for the integrity of Creation and to stand
in solidarity with the poor and the marginalized is one that has spoken to us all.
Please be assured of the prayers of the Church of Scotland for the people of God in each of the
dioceses of the Catholic Church in Scotland. We stand with you in sorrow and share together in the
hope of the resurrection.
Yours sincerely,
Rt Rev Dr Shaw J Paterson
Moderator of the General Assembly
Church of Scotland

21Apr

We join with the Universal Church and our friends around the world as we mourn the death of our Holy Father, Pope Francis

21 Apr, 2025 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

We join with the Universal Church and our friends around the world as we mourn the death of our Holy Father, Pope Francis. Bishop Frank has shared this short message to the Diocesan community.

21Apr

The Community of the Diocese of Motherwell joins the Church and so many others in mourning the death of Our Holy Father, Pope Fr...

21 Apr, 2025 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

The Community of the Diocese of Motherwell joins the Church and so many others in mourning the death of Our Holy Father, Pope Francis 1. We give thanks to God for his 88 years of life, particularly his service to the Church as a Jesuit, Priest and Bishop, and ultimately as Bishop of Rome. May his faith in the Lord’s Resurrection, which he celebrated with us yesterday, be fully realised and may his good soul rest in God’s peace.
+Joseph

21Apr

Death of Pope Francis

21 Apr, 2025 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

https://www.rcag.org.uk/the-archdiocese/latest-news/362-death-of-pope-francis

The Holy Father died this morning. On hearing news of the Pope’s death, Archbishop Nolan said: “I share the sense of loss of millions of people...

21Apr

'He shared Christ's mercy to all' - Archdiocese of Edinburgh

21 Apr, 2025 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

https://archedinburgh.org/he-shared-christs-mercy-to-all/

The Vatican has announced the death of Pope Francis at the age of 88. Archbishop Cushley said: "I am deeply […]

21Apr

Pope Francis RIP

21 Apr, 2025 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

Bishop Gilbert’s message

Pope Francis, Bishop of Rome and Successor of St Peter died this morning – Easter Monday – at 7.35 am. May the risen Lord receive him! His passage to eternity will be made on a tide of prayer…

21Apr

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

21 Apr, 2025 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

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 livestyles, 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