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Calling Scotland's 841,000 Catholics to unite as one voice
Scots Catholic Blog
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With Christianity dying out in Europe we need the family more than ever
| Posted on April 6, 2017 at 4:44 AM |
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 The prophetic words of John Paul IIIt's a real wake up call. Jesus is losing his influence in Europe. Christianity is dying out. We've known for some time now that Christianity is on the decline in Europe, but recent data released by the Pew Research Center reveals just how stark that decline is. Indeed, it is the only decline in any religion in any part of the world between 2010 and 2015. But for Christianity's decline in Europe, every religion across all continents witnessed an increase in numbers, including Christianity itself, which is growing rapidly in Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America. Islam is also growing rapidly in Sub-Saharan Africa as well as Asia Pacific. But it is in Europe where the real story lies. An astonishing drop of 5.6 million Christian births to deaths has seen the religion plummet across the continent. There are many reasons for this, not least a much greater prevalence of lukewarm Christianity and an increasingly secular culture. Across the world Islam will continue to grow in greater numbers than Christianity, with a fertility rate of 2.9 compared to 2.6 for Christians. Islam also has the youngest median age in terms of adherents to the faith, at just 24. Hindus are at 27 with Christians at 30. We have known for some time that Islam would eventually catch up with Christianity in terms of numbers, and within twenty years births to women of Islamic faith will outnumber Christian births. But it is in Europe where there must be deep concern for Christians. Why is the faith struggling so much in that continent? For European Christians there is undoubtedly a crisis when it comes to the family. Europe's secular influence, with its liberal laws around contraception, abortion and marriage, has chipped away at the hearts and minds of the faithful, giving them an excuse to focus on the self and to set aside the call of Christ to first and foremost love God and neighbour. Families now come in all different shapes and sizes; their constitution often based on the ideological whim of selfish individuals. The idea that a young man and a young woman can look lovingly into one another's eyes, establish a firm and beautiful friendship that leads to the great sacrament of marriage and the bearing of fruit through the birth of new life is dumbed down by the culture of want. And we have all bought into it. It is a sad reflection on our lack of faith. As Pope John Paul II said, "As the family goes, so goes the nation and so goes the whole world in which we live." We Christians have let down the family, and Europe is the nation Pope John Paul refers to. It is going and if we don't reclaim it the world will eventually go with it. Europe, to coin a famous song, is most definitely losing its religion and losing Christ. If it is to recover, radical change in attitude is required. Starting with the family. |
Peaceful and prayerful: 40 Days for Life returns to Scotland this Lent
| Posted on February 7, 2017 at 6:40 AM |
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 During the season of Lent, a number of people will gather
outside four hospitals in Scotland in quiet, prayerful vigil to stand up for the inherent
dignity and value of human life. The 40 Days for Life vigils
will be held outside the grounds of the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in
Glasgow, the Royal Infirmaries in Edinburgh and Aberdeen, and Ninewells in
Dundee. It is peaceful, it is calm, and there is certainly no aggression or
scare tactics adopted, despite what the mainstream media try to portray. For those who claim that the 40 Days for Life event is
anything but peaceful and prayerful, I urge them to attend the event and to see
for themselves precisely the manner in which this so called ‘protest’ is
undertaken by those involved. There is no desire to harass anyone, and there is
certainly no desire to be abusive. It is better to witness first hand the
reality of the situation, rather than buy the lies of those who would prefer
that this vigil was something that it clearly isn’t. There will, of course, be times when someone has recently
undergone an abortion or suffered a miscarriage and, in coming across the vigil,
they experience distress and upset. I don’t think anyone attending the event
would feel anything but sympathy and compassion for those in such a situation.
The pro-life movement would not be in keeping with its belief that all human
life is precious if it did not feel for those who suffer and did not offer them support and consolation. The question is then whether
or not, given these instances of distress, the vigil is appropriate. We can put
forward a number of arguments for and against, and this will tend to be guided
by which side of the abortion debate we sit on. But the reality is this…science
is almost entirely settled on the fact that a distinct new human being with
their own DNA comes into existence from the moment of conception. This human
being is alive and is growing. The baby's
brain, spinal cord, heart and other organs begin to form a mere 2/3 weeks
following conception. This is why people participate in the 40 Days for
Life vigils. They genuinely do not think that it is acceptable for the state to
allow for the untimely death of an innocent, defenceless human being at its
most vulnerable stage in life. These vigils are peaceful and the only desire of participants
is to see that all human life is given a chance. A chance to be someone: to see
their very first sun rise; to feel the first snowflake on their hand; to
experience the nervous excitement of that first day in school; to get behind
the wheel of their first car; to find the love of their life; to perhaps even
have children of their own. They may even be lucky enough to grow old and enjoy
the perfect smiles of their grandchildren at Christmas time. This is life and
this is what we seek to protect.  Because the state supports the killing of unwanted children
in the womb, 8.7 million human beings in the UK never got the chance to
experience these simple, yet poignant moments in life. No matter how much we
try to deny or distance ourselves from that reality, we can never hide from the
truth that abortion extinguishes the life of a beautiful, precious little human
being who simply wants to be loved. The 40 Days for Life is a worldwide movement and it will take
place at the four Scottish hospitals throughout Lent from 1 March
until 9 April. There will also be official opening and closing events,
including one in George Square, Glasgow on 25 February. Click here
for full details. |
Vice President Mike Pence tells pro-life campaigners that 'life is winning' in America
| Posted on January 27, 2017 at 3:44 PM |
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 Mike Pence at March for LifeToday Vice President Mike Pence spoke to hundreds of thousands of pro-life advocates gathered for the annual March for Life on the National Mall. He is the first Vice President to address the March in person. Counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway also spoke at today’s March. Vice President Pence’s remarks reflected his deep roots in the pro-life movement and the Trump-Pence Administration’s commitments to the right to life cause:
Kellyanne Conway said:
Susan B. Anthony List President Marjorie Dannenfelser, onsite at the March for Life, offered the following comment in response:
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Pope's message for 50th World Day of Peace
| Posted on December 13, 2016 at 8:22 AM |
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 Picture: zenit.orgPope Francis asks "God to help all of us to cultivate nonviolence in our most personal thoughts and values." Read the entire message here: https://zenit.org/articles/popes-message-for-50th-world-day-of-peace/ |
Catholic Church announces appointment of Baroness Helen Liddell as Chair of Independent Review Group
| Posted on December 5, 2016 at 4:16 AM |
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 Baroness Liddell and Archbishop Philip Tartaglia The Bishops’ Conference of Scotland has today announced that Baroness Helen Liddell will be the first ever Chair of the Independent Review Group (IRG) an autonomous body, which will function separately from the Church and which will review safeguarding standards and carry out independent audits. Announcing the appointment, Archbishop Philip Tartaglia, President of the Bishops’ Conference said: “I am most grateful to Baroness Liddell for agreeing to become the first Chair of the Independent Review Group, which will review and audit the Catholic Church’s Safeguarding work. In accepting the recommendation of the McLellan Commission to create an independent group, it was clear that a chairperson of national stature and proven competence would be required and I believe, that in Helen, these qualities are perfectly met.” “On behalf of the bishops of Scotland I welcome her appointment and look forward to working with her as we continue to implement in full the safeguarding recommendations presented to us last year.” Responding to the appointment, Baroness Liddell, a former Secretary of State for Scotland, said: "This group will be a transparent and fearless means of ensuring that the McLellan Commission recommendations are implemented in full. We owe it to the survivors to ensure that their suffering is never repeated." (from Scottish Catholic Media Office) |
Pope Francis claims gender theory is the ‘great enemy of marriage today’
| Posted on October 6, 2016 at 6:03 AM |
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 Pope
Francis has spoken out against the theory of gender, something he has stated as
being the “great enemy of marriage today”.
The pope, speaking to a group of religious men and women in Tbilisi,
Georgia, said: “Today, there is a global war trying to destroy marriage…they
don’t destroy it with weapons, but with ideas.
It’s certain ideological ways of thinking that are destroying it…we have
to defend ourselves from ideological colonisation.” The
pontiff has often spoken about ideological colonisation and gender theory and
the dangers they pose to society. The
ideological colonisation he refers to is primarily to do with developed
countries – mainly in the West – imposing their ideas and values into
developing nations and potentially withholding aid where those ideas and values
are resisted. Gender theory, on the
other hand, is what an individual person believes himself or herself to be and
it may not necessarily correspond with their biological sex. Indeed, it may even be non-binary; that is, neither
male nor female. The next day, during an in-flight press conference on his way home
to Rome, the pope spoke once more about gender theory and expressed deep
concern about “teaching in school about this [gender theory], to change mentalities.” This, he says, “is what I call ideological
colonisation.” He then spoke more specifically about homosexuality and the
pastoral call of the Church with regard to people who experience same-sex
attraction. He said: “First of all, I’ve
accompanied in my life as a priest, a bishop, and even as pope, people with
homosexual tendencies or even homosexual practices, I’ve led them closer to the
Lord.” He called on all people within
the Church to accompany people in such situations “as Jesus accompanies”
because “when a person who has this condition gets in front of Jesus, Jesus won’t
say ‘leave because you’re homosexual.’” The pope was, however, cautious about the more liberal headlines
that have been attributed to him in terms of a possibly softer Church attitude
towards homosexual acts when he said: “I want to be clear, this is a problem of
morals. It’s a problem. It’s a human problem that has to be resolved
as it can, always with God’s mercy.” |
Pope Francis supports defence of family life in Mexico
| Posted on September 27, 2016 at 10:35 AM |
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 Pope Francis has spoken openly about his support for the
Mexican bishops who, along with millions of people, have taken to the streets to
protest against the legalisation of same-sex marriage and the serious threat
it poses to family life. The pope said: “I am very happy to
associate myself with the bishops of Mexico, in supporting the commitment of
the Church and of civil society in favour of the family and of life, which in
this time require special pastoral and cultural attention in all the world.” |
Truth is the essential pre-condition to democracy, writes George Weigel
| Posted on September 27, 2016 at 9:07 AM |
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 George Weigel, the Distinguished Senior Fellow of the
Ethics and Public Policy Center, has claimed that democracy is likely to become
brittle, crack and fail unless society consists of “men and women committed to
the dignity of the human person as the first principle of just governance and
dedicated to the pursuit of the common good.”
Weigel, in response to the assertion that those who
believe that truths about the human person and human community are essential to
democracy are actually on an authoritarian mission, says: “it is the radical
moral relativists for whom there is no “truth,” but only expressions of
personal preference and will, who are busily enforcing their judgments on
society in the name of “tolerance”.” At 7pm on Tuesday October 4th, George Weigel is speaking
at St Mary’s Metropolitan Cathedral in Edinburgh on the topic of
"Converting the Culture: The New Evangelisation and the Future of the
West”. Read the full article in The Scotsman here: http://www.scotsman.com/news/opinion/is-faith-the-missing-ingredient-that-can-make-western-democracy-work-1-4240413 |
Bishops call for ‘decisive and courageous steps’ towards nuclear disarmament
| Posted on July 12, 2016 at 8:57 AM |
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 The eight Catholic Bishops of ScotlandStatement of the Catholic Bishops of Scotland on nuclear weapons: The Bishops of Scotland have for a long time pointed out the immorality of the use of strategic nuclear weapons due to the indiscriminate destruction of innocent human life that their use would cause. The renewal of Trident is questioned not just by those concerned with the morality of nuclear weapons themselves but also by those concerned about the use of scarce financial resources. Lives are being lost now because money that could be spent on the needy and the poor is tied up in nuclear arsenals. We endorse the words of Pope Francis: “Spending on nuclear weapons squanders the wealth of nations”. The United Kingdom, permanent member of the UN Security Council and declared nuclear power, signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in 1968. That treaty binds signatories who do not have nuclear weapons not to acquire them, but it also binds those who do have nuclear weapons to work towards the disposing and elimination of all nuclear weapons. Britain should take more decisive and courageous steps to revive that aspect of the treaty and not seek to prolong the status quo. Signed + Philip Tartaglia, President of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland, Archbishop of Glasgow+ Joseph Toal, Vice-President, Bishop of Motherwell+ Hugh Gilbert, Episcopal Secretary, Bishop of Aberdeen+ Leo Cushley, Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh+ Stephen Robson, Bishop of Dunkeld+ John Keenan, Bishop of Paisley+ William Nolan, Bishop of Galloway+ Brian McGee, Bishop of Argyll and The Isles |
Jo Cox death should herald a turning point in public/political relations
| Posted on June 20, 2016 at 11:43 AM |
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 Jo Cox in the House of CommonsThe death of Labour MP Jo Cox has shocked not only the world
of politics in which she worked, but also the British nation as a whole. The horror of what happened in the town of Birstall
last Thursday will be a permanent scar for the MP’s family and is something
they will have to live with for the rest of their lives. But what does it mean for the relationship between MPs and
the general public? Scottish Secretary
David Mundell, who has himself received death threats, lamented the influence
of social media in relations between the public and MPs, criticising the
“vitriol” that is often expressed towards politicians. I for one agree with him. Whilst our elected representatives’ role in
public life is such that they are very much open to criticism, that criticism
should be constructive and measured, and it should be expressed with
politeness. It should not be unjust or
whimsical, and it should not be expressed with any degree of hatred or be
threatening in any way. Politicians have
the right to do their job in safety and without abuse. Isn’t that the legal right of every
worker? Why should politicians be any
different? Very few politicians are actually in the job to make people
worse off or to act selfishly. They are
in politics because they genuinely want to make a difference. Yes, there will be bad apples in there; just
like there is in any walk of life. But
as with any bad apple, we need to pray for them and we need to trust that our
peaceful system of democracy will ultimately win the day. The hate directed at poor Jo Cox as she walked through her
constituency last week was of the worst kind.
It took her life and has thus
caused immeasurable pain to her family, friends and colleagues. But underneath all of that is an unhealthy
undercurrent of hate and cynicism which exists throughout our country and is often
directed at many in officialdom, including politicians. This is especially the case on social media, where the abuse and hatred spewed forth has the potential to fuel the anger in certain individuals predisposed to dangerous actions. Jesus Christ called us to love all people;
even those that we perceive to be our enemies.
Our politicians need our support and prayers. They work in an incredibly testing
environment in which they are under increasing fear for their own safety and
wellbeing. May the sad and unnecessary passing of Jo Cox herald a
change in attitude across our nation so that we come together as one, and in a
spirit of brotherly love may we work with and support our politicians in
striving for peace, equality, tolerance and prosperity for all people. |