Here is a summary report of the recent meeting of the Bishops' Conference of Scotland (BCOS), which took at the Schoenstatt Retreat Centre in the Campsie Fells.
  • Bishop Keenan, the Conference President gave an account of his recent visit to the Holy See and warm welcome by the various Diasteries.
  • Prayers were offered for Pope Francis whom Bishop Keenan greeted just before the Holy Father’s hospitalisation on the 14th February.
  • Bishop Paul Mason was welcomed by Bishop Keenan and invited to speak about his role as Bishop of the Forces and the current work of the military chaplains.
  • The Conference welcomed Fr Michael Kane and Elaine Furmage of Being Catholic TV who outlined a possible strategy for engaging with the media in Scotland.
  • Joe Sikora, the Inter-faith officer, reported on a recent meeting with Imam Razawi who represents the Shia community in Edinburgh and its desire to work with the Catholic Church to address poverty.
  • In ecumenical matters, Archbishop Cushley and Bishop Gilbert spoke about their work with the Scottish Episcopalian Church in producing a declaration of understanding to be entitled the St Ninian Declaration. The Conference was joined later in the week by the Bishops of the Scottish Episcopal Church for lunch.
  • Just prior to the meeting, the Holy See sent the letter to proceed with the implementation of Synodality in Scotland at national and diocesan levels. The Bishops shared views on the next steps and also on their recent Synodality Day at the Ignatian Centre in Glasgow.
  • Bishops Gilbert and McGee had recently returned from the annual visitation to the Pontifical Scots College and gave their report.
  • On a liturgical level, Bishop Gilbert spoke about his work with ICEL especially at the February meeting in Washington DC.
  • All the Bishops commented on the reception of the new lectionary in their dioceses and their hopes for a greater appreciation for the Word of God among all the faithful.
  • Bishop Dougan requested that the annual pilgrimage to Whithorn in honour of St Ninian be made a national pilgrimage. All the Bishops agreed.
  • Anthony Horan from the Parliamentary Office outlined the plans for the visit to Westminster by the Conference that will take place at the beginning of April. The Bishops look forward to engaging with politicians of all the parties on issues such as welfare and poverty, justice and peace, religious freedom, assisted suicide, immigration and the need for clergy visas for priests who wish to serve the Church in Scotland. The Bishops will also celebrate Holy Mass at the Chapel of St Mary Undercroft, the official chapel of the parliament.
  • Barbara Coupar and Joanna Sweeney from SCES highlighted the initiatives of SCES in the Holy Year including a Festival of Schools in June and a joint Holy Year pilgrimage of newly qualified teachers from Scotland, Ireland and England/Wales. They also spoke about engagement with Education Scotland on curriculum improvement and its implications for Catholic education.
  • Canon Gargaro gave a report on the work of the Inter-Diocesan Tribunal and the need for more instructors and psychologists to assist its work.
  • There was an update on safeguarding issues and the work of the SCSSA from Bishop McGee.
  • SCIAF Chief Exec Lorraine Currie joined the meeting to promote the Wee Box appeal and the annual SCIAF Sunday appeal on the 4th Sunday of Lent- Mothering Sunday. The Bishops agreed to promote this in their own dioceses and especially “online giving” on Mothering Sunday for SCIAF.
  • It was acknowledged that Bishop John Arnold of Salford will present a webinar in May for the Care of Creation Office to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of Laudato si- Pope Francis’s encyclical on the cry of the poor and the cry of the earth.
  • Bishop Keenan highlighted the repeated message of the Dicasteries in Rome regarding helping families and asked that the Marriage Family and Life agency be given more resources to support family life. He also welcomed Deacon Kenny McGeachie from the Scottish Prison Chaplaincy Service to the meeting and thanked him for his report on the spiritual support of prisoners and their families.
  • Finally Louisa Crisp, the Finance Officer of BCOS presented the annual accounts to the Conference that will be audited in the near future.
The Conference was grateful as always to Sr Mary Elsbeth, Sr Margareta and Cailein Gillespie of Schoenstatt for their hearty welcome, good food and spiritual space especially in the Shrine Chapel where Mass was celebrated every day.