WATCH: Prisoners and experts share experience of life inside

Life inside Scottish prisons was discussed by prisoners, experts and chaplains at The Gillis Centre in Edinburgh on Saturday.

A View from Within: Justice & the Prison Service was hosted by Canon Brian Gowans and the Archdiocesan Commission for Caritas Justice & Peace.

Prisoners from HMP Castle Huntly shared their experiences about life inside and stressed the importance of addressing challenges within the criminal justice system.

These include education, self-motivation, mental health, and breaking down stereotypes.

Professor Nancy Loucks from Families Outside underscored the significance of acknowledging obstacles faced by families of those in prison and advocated for collective efforts to challenge stereotypes and provide support.

Canon Gowans spoke of the global disparities in the treatment of prisoners which he discovered in his role as President of the International Commission of Catholic Prison Pastoral Care.

Deacon Kenny McGeachie, the National Chaplaincy Advisor to the Scottish Prison Service, discussed challenges within the Scottish prison system and advocated for an  inclusive, trauma-informed, and rights-based approach.

In alignment with the call of Christ to serve those in prison, attendees were urged to act practically by endorsing the Prisoners' Week Charter.

The Archdiocese has already pledged its support, affirming their commitment to advocating for a more empathetic and equitable prison system.

Thanks to everyone who attended. Find out more about the Commission for Caritas, Justice & Peace here. Find out more about Families Outside here.

DIARY: Canon Jeremy's Pakistan Pilgrimage

Canon Jeremy Bath shares his Pakistan Diary, following his visit there this summer.

His aim was to discover more about the Catholic Church in the country and what life is like for Christians.

Diary

Sunday 11 June

Just about to land in Faisalabad. Been travelling nearly 16 hours. Nearly did not get on the plane as I had trouble accessing my Covid passport.  A man gave up his seat on the airport bus as he saw me as a senior citizen! I forget these things.  Able to pray the office in the Airport and an air hostess from Lebanon greeted me as she saw I was a Catholic priest.

Monday 12 June

Breathtaking heat at the airport. Fr Younis met me and we travelled through crowded streets filled. The city is truly vibrant; you notice the Mosques, but no visible sign of Churches. Eventually, we turned down a muddy side to the Seminary building. Staff and students of the Seminary gave me a warm welcome.Got some rest. There was a gun in the cupboard.  Went to get fitted for specs and sandals.

Tuesday 13 June – Feast of St Anthony of Padua

Special Mass for dedication of a new Church – St Anthony of Padua. We went in procession with many priests. There were drums beating, flower petals, doves, fireworks. The Mass was three hours long – Dedication of the new beautiful Church; Many speeches, power cuts, blessings and thanksgivings!

Wednesday 14 June

Travelled to see Fr Younis’s mum and family for lunch, after buying more Pakastani clothes; stupidly forgot to buy her a gift; she gave me many gifts; her love and goodness was touching. Went to a new church - St Joseph’s in Mahalam. The village was rural – there were animals, children, flies, heat and dust, but also smiles, joy, music, dancing, singing – the love of God. I made a little speech, translated, and the people were so warm and friendly. A man sang a song all about how Fr Younis built the church, it was captivating to hear and it nearly brought me to tears. Stayed in local convent.

Thursday 15 June

Awoke in the convent. You get a sense that the sisters are a vital resource for these people and for the priest; providing education and pastoral care to poor people. I can’t believe the teachers are paid as little as the equivalent of £4.00 per week.

Later in the morning we met with the local Muslim community leader, Mr Nassar, he was friendly and courteous. I was warned to be prudent on what I discussed; there are legal and religious sensitiveness about discussing issues such as blasphemy laws and the intolerance of Muslims becoming Christian.

The consequences are serious for the person and their families. I mentioned the positive progress that is being made in interreligious dialogue in Scotland; that the Scottish First Minister is Muslim and we departed on positive terms. I now have Pakistani clothes to wear, which are more comfortable in the heat.

Friday 16 June - Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

This beautiful feast of the Church started with Mass in the College Chapel, followed by a very restful day in the seminary. It was good to have time to read, reflect and journal.

Saturday 17 June

At 4:30 pm we headed off Northwards to the Murnee Mountain range north of Islamabad.  It was a long haul at that time of the day – nearly 400 miles.  On the way, we passed hundreds of trucks taking cattle and goats up for Eid – a big Muslim feast, when on the 29 June they slaughter the animals for a religious reason I’m not familiar with.  The animals do not seem to be treated well – which is distressing to see.  One truck with cows turned over on the roadside.  Several dead from their injuries.

Sunday 18 June 2023

In the morning when you opened the curtains, you saw the beauty and grandeur of the scenery – mountain ranges stretching into the distance – even as far as India Kashmir. After breakfast and morning prayer we decided to venture out to visit the scenery – a profusion of colour on the roadside as the enterprising traders sold their wares; colourful umbrellas, coconuts, shawls of many colours and patterns, beautiful Arabian horses to ride; carpets, tea stalls, maize roasted on fires, candy floss – all at 8,000 ft on steep mountain roadside.

There were monkeys waiting for a banana; cattle and goats grazing, motorbikes with overloaded family; horns tooting all along the way – wild daisy flowers being knitted into crowns by little children holding out garlands on their thin arms trying to earn a little money.

Monday 19 June 2023

We headed off about midday after saying goodbye to all the hotel staff including Tohid, the manager who was gracious.  The journey homeward took about eight hours in searing heat, thank goodness for the A.C. in the car.  Again, all the way from the mountains to the plain of Islamabad was trading at the roadside.  If you stopped, even for a few seconds in the village, people. The distinction between the elite and the destitute is there to see; even a woman begging at the roadside while her small child lay in a wheelchair; Fr Younis said it was professional begging; even if that be so; it is a sad manifestation of human existence. Amongst the dust and heat of Faisalabad we journeyed on to the highway south.  We came back to a warm reception from the students, clean clothes, shower, slipper and night prayer.  Now time to reflect and prepare for the journey homeward.

Tuesday, 20 June 2023

What have I learned from this experience?  Firstly, the Catholic Church in Pakistan is, alongside all Christians, a subjugated minority who are not afforded the same rights, freedom and dignity of the majority Muslim community.  The Blasphemy Laws are truly dangerous for Christians – with every possibility of an innocent person being put to death for spurious reasons.

They (the Christians) recognise the importance of dialogue in dealing with local disputes and giving reassurances that either party is not actively seeking to ‘poach’ people into their own religion.  Though ultimately the Christians are much weaker from a juridical position in getting their appeals upheld.  The army and police is dominated by the Islamic Way of life.

That in Pakistan, people work hard to survive, often with little or no resources.  The stalls and trading reflect lives that will do anything to make a living; especially for the poorer and lower caste; many of whom are Christians.

Don’t come here if you are sensitive to animal welfare – donkeys, dogs, cattle and birds are here to fulfil an essential purpose – sentimentalism does not really get a look in from what I see – please God there are some who care.

You see here a vivid expression of the call of Christ to carry your cross courageously.  Remember the past Archbishop, John Joseph took his own life outside the High Court in 1998 in dealing with a blasphemy case.

The Church like any institution of power is vulnerable to corruption, but must be careful to be a contradiction to the prevailing culture; to be a ‘Beacon of truth, honesty, justice and compassion’; otherwise the faithful will lose heart and confidence in our Church leaders. they must always remember they are in a position of trust, that is sourced ultimately in their being an Ordained Servant of Christ.

If we as priests, are met ‘Persona Christi’ to our people, then we are of no use to them and will lose our mandate to govern the Church on earth.  As Jesus says ‘Be responsible stewards so when your Master calls, he will find you hard at work for the Kingdom’.

So overall, it’s been an enlightening experience to come to Fr Younis’ home country; the warm welcome has never left me; the kindness and thoughtfulness of the Seminary community.

Fr Jeremy Bath is parish priest at St Machan's in Lennoxtown and is Vicar Episcopal for the Archdiocesan commission for Ecumenism and Interfaith Dialogue. Read the unabridged diary here.

Challenge Poverty Week event

Bishop John Keenan will join Rt Rev Rev Sally Foster-Fulton, Moderator of the Church of Scotland, for a special Challenge Poverty Week event.

Faith, Compassion and Security is hosted this Thursday (5 October) at the Xaverian Missionaries Conforti Centre and Church of Scotland Priority Areas.

The theme of the event is to learn about a Minimum Income Guarantee as a way to combat poverty and discuss in a Christian context how this may be achieved.

Bishop John Keenan, of Paisley Diocese, said: “It is an opportunity for individuals to raise their voices against poverty and unite with others in calling for a just and equal Scotland.

"I am heartened to be able to participate in these conversations, to lead worship together with Catholics and Reformed Christians active in anti-poverty work across Scotland.”

Hugh Foy of the Xaverian Missionaries, said: "This campaign seeks to return human dignity to the heart of political decision making.

"These issues transcend party politics, they define who we are as a society.

"A minimum income guarantee secures a healthy standard of living for all, and allows it to be sustained as a fundamental requirement of all governments in the future"

Faith, Compassion and Security – A Challenge Poverty Week Event, Thursday 5 October 2023, 10:00am to 3:00pm at the Conforti Centre, Calder Avenue, Coatbridge ML5 4JS. No registration required.

***

Challenge Poverty Week runs from 2–8 October and is organised by The Poverty Alliance, an organisation which Justice and Peace Scotland are members of.  Justice and Peace advises the Bishops' Conference of Scotland in matters of social justice, peacebuilding, promoting care for creation and human rights, supporting the Catholic community to live the values of the Gospel in service to the poor and marginalised.

 

Bishop McGee in Rome for global Synod

Bishops from around in Rome are in Rome this weekend ahead of the first of two Synod meetings.

The Catholic Church in Scotland will be represented by Bishop Brian McGee, of the Diocese of Argyll and the Isles.

He said “I am very excited, although also nervous, about going to Rome for the Synod.

"The focus is to discern what the Holy Spirit is saying to the Church today.

"I have enjoyed listening to the feedback from people across Scotland and it will be fascinating to hear what people from across the world have to say."

Bishop McGee previously led a Scottish delegation, including our diocesan representative Sr Anna Marie McGuan RSM, to the Continental stage of the Synod in Prague (see below video).

The Rome synod takes place from Wednesday 4 to Monday 30 October on the theme 'For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, Mission’.

While the gathering is a Synod of Bishops, there will be participants who are not bishops including lay and religious women.

There is a wonderful opportunity for renewal of the Church at every level.

The theme is 'synodality' with an emphasis on listening to the Holy Spirit.

The main discussion theme is to ask how can the Church best listen to people and act in a way that accompanies people, including both her own members and wider society, especially the most marginalised.

Pope Francis has invited church leaders to join him in prayer on Saturday to entrust the work of the of the Synod to the Holy Spirit.

Bishop McGee added: "There is a wonderful opportunity for renewal of the Church at every level.

"The Synod process has planted seeds of hope in the hearts of the faithful and in the Church in Scotland.

"I pray for its growth and fulfilment as we enter the next phase of the Synodal Process so that the Church can continue to grow as a caring mother, and a community of hope.

"The focus however is not the participants but the Spirit and I ask for your prayers as we strive to discern.”

Recap key points of the Synod in our summary video available on our Synod playlist on YouTube. The Archdiocesan Synod Report is available here.

 

 

Lobby your MSP against assisted suicide

The Catholic Parliamentary Office has called on parishioners across Scotland to lobby MSPs against dangerous proposals to legalise assisted suicide. 

A briefing, which has been sent to every Catholic parish in the country, asks parishioners to contact local MSPs, either as individuals or as part of an organised parish group.

Anthony Horan, Director of the Catholic Parliamentary Office, said:  “The Catholic community in Scotland was key to stopping assisted suicide in 2010 and 2015.

"We need them to step up once again.

"Please help us to stop death by prescription in Scotland and to call for better palliative care instead. We should be caring for people, not killing them.”

Among the dangers outlined in the briefing:

The church also points out that assisted suicide is uncontrollable.

In every country where assisted suicide and/or euthanasia is legal, safeguards have been eroded and eligibility criteria expanded to now include people with arthritis, anorexia, autism and dementia. It has also been extended to include children. 

Liam McArthur MSP is expected to publish a Bill later this year proposing the legalisation of assisted suicide. 

Catholic parishioners and others are urged to visit the website Scottish Catholic Parliamentary Office website for guidance on contacting MSPs.

 

 

 

Free2Pray webinar

A Green Party MSP, supported by the Scottish Government, is proposing a Bill to ban peaceful prayers and offers of help near abortion clinics in Scotland.
It proposes a jail sentence of up to two years for anyone who even silently prays near an abortion clinic. Catholics in England have already been arrested under similar laws there.
It is vital that as many Catholics, and all concerned for freedom of speech and assembly, make a response to this dangerous Bill.
Find out more and how to respond at this webinar which takes place on Tuesday 3 October at 7:45pm. Register here.
If the Government is allowed to decide when and where people can pray this is a serious threat to religious freedom.
If the principle is established in this Bill, it could easily be applied to Corpus Christi processions or other forms of Catholic social justice work if politicians decide they don't agree with what is happening.
It is vital that as many Catholics, and all concerned for freedom of speech and assembly, make a response to this dangerous Bill.
Find out more and how to respond at this webinar.
Free2Pray is organised by the Scottish Catholic Parliamentary Office. Register here.

Archbishop Cushley meets Pope Francis in Rome

Pope Francis welcomed Archbishop Cushley and Fr Mark Cassidy, rector of the Pontifical Scots College in Rome, to the Vatican last week.

Archbishop Cushley said: “It was a privilege to join Fr Mark for this informal meeting. When I met the Holy Father in February the first thing he asked me was ‘How is the college doing these days?’ So we were pleased to bring him up to date with recent developments.”

During his visit, Archbishop Cushley celebrated Mass with seminarians in the Chapel of the Partorienti in the Grottoes of St Peter’s inside the Vatican. The Mass has become the traditional way of marking the opening of the Academic Year.

A new location for the Scots College in Rome is being sought. Seminarians are currently residing at the Beda College in the city centre.

Funding for teachers in the Archdiocese

The Archdiocese has funding available for four teachers to study the Additional Teaching Qualification in Religious Education at Glasgow University.

Margaret Barton, our Religious Education Advisor for High Schools, said: "The Archdiocese wants to support those teachers who want to teach Religious Education in their school.

"By doing so they can increase their knowledge of the Catholic faith and share it with pupils to strengthen and encourage their love of God.”

To apply for the subsidy please email kay.leslie@staned.org.uk for an application form. Find out more about the course here.

Bishops ask for prayers during Synod

The Bishops of Scotland have asked for prayers during next month's Synod in Rome.

They have been at the Royal Scots College in Salamanca for their annual service week, reflecting on the working document for the Synod.

It follows a meeting of diocesan Synodality representatives recently in Airdrie.

A Facebook post on the page of the Bishops' Conference of Scotland said: "(The Bishops) agreed that this is an opportunity to respond to the pastoral reality of the Church, praying together and listening to the Holy Spirit.

"At the heart of the process is prayer, discernment and openness.

"The People of God - lay faithful, religious and clergy - on every continent, needs to be involved in this Synodal process."

It continued: "The Bishops of Scotland ask all Catholics in Scotland, and Scots of all faiths...to pray for the Synod on Synodality especially during the month of October.

"All are asked to pray, every day of the Synod, the following prayer which has been invoked at Church Councils over the centuries, Ad Sumus Sancte Spiritus (see below).

Guided by Holy Spirit

Bishop Brian McGee (Argyll & the Isles) who chairs the Bishops’ Conference Synodality Group, will represent the Church in Scotland at the Synod (hear what he's said about the Synod here).

The Bishops said: "The benefits of modern technology permit everyone to participate and perhaps, for the first time, allow the fullest expression of the reforms of the second Vatican Council to bear fruit in the Church.

"At the heart of the process is prayer, discernment and openness.

From left Archbishop William Nolan (Glasgow), Archbishop Leo Cushley (St Andrews & Edinburgh), Bishop Joseph Toal (Motherwell), Fr William McFadden (Galloway), Bishop Brian McGee (Argyll & the Isles, Bishop John Keenan (Paisley) and Bishop Hugh Gilbert OSB (Aberdeen).

"The beauty, goodness and truth of our Catholic faith cannot be contained by one opinion or ideology.

It appeals to the world to let the Holy Spirit guide us to the Jesus Christ, our way, our truth and our life.

"God knows what He wants for the Church more than we do.

"Through spiritual conversation we can discover and cherish that gift of faith which is open to all people of good will.

The journey of faith is rarely a straight road but requires patience and mutual support.

"It also treasures and is directed by the journey taken before us, by saints and sinners, a journey of forgiveness and renewal."

Ad Sumus Sancte Spiritus:

We stand before You, Holy Spirit, as we gather together in Your name.
With You alone to guide us, make Yourself at home in our hearts;
Teach us the way we must go and how we are to pursue it.
We are weak and sinful; do not let us promote disorder.
Do not let ignorance lead us down the wrong path nor partiality influence our actions.
Let us find in You our unity so that we may journey together to eternal life
and not stray from the way of truth and what is right.
All this we ask of You, who are at work in every place and time,
in the communion of the Father and the Son, forever and ever.
Amen.

Special event underway at St Mary's Cathedral

A special series of talks takes place at St Mary's Cathedral in Edinburgh beginning on Monday! Register here.

In this video Mgr Patrick Burke takes a deep dive into the background and aim of the event: to help bring us closer to Jesus, by exploring the Gospel of Mark.