Matthew and Kieran ordained deacons

Congratulations to Matthew McCafferty and Kieran Burt who were ordained deacons in Rome by Archbishop Cushley.

The ceremony took place yesterday at St Paul Outside the Walls and represents their final step on the path to priesthood.

Matthew, from Bathgate, is a seminarian of the Archdiocese of St Andrews & Edinburgh, while Kieran is from Motherwell Diocese.

Archbishop Cushley told them: "To be a deacon is to serve; to be Christlike is to serve; and you are called to embrace both, in a life of perfect service: a joyful, constant, self-emptying gift to the Lord and His people."

On this World Day of Prayer for Vocations we ask God to guide both men on their path to priesthood.

Homily of Archbishop Leo Cushley of St Andrews & Edinburgh, Diaconate Ordinations, St Paul Outside the Walls, Rome, 10 May 2025

My dear friends,

A warm welcome to all of you, to our diaconandi, but especially to the parents, relatives and friends of Kieran and Matthew, some of whom have travelled far.

Thank you for joining us on this happy and solemn occasion. And we’re all very grateful to His Eminence Cardinal Harvey, Archpriest of St Paul’s outside the Walls, and to Canon Mark Cassidy, Rector of the Pontifical Scots College, and to the staff and seminarians for their welcome and assistance.

All of us here, and I think it’s fair to say especially the clergy, appreciate the profound significance of what is about to take place in the lives of these men.

To be sure, they have been in formation for a long time now and have been preparing eagerly for this day.

But today is not only a question of the change wrought in them by the sacred nature of holy orders, or of finally coming to a point of arrival; today also has the nature of a solemn pledge, that these men are open to God’s grace, that they will continue to deepen their love for our divine Master, and to mature in serving God’s people in the Church, even as they also continue, please God, on their way towards the priesthood.

This is the moment when these men publicly assume the duties of service associated with the diaconate.

Today, they will promise to pray the Liturgy of the Hours every day for the rest of their lives; they will promise respect and obedience to their bishop and his successors; and they will embrace a life of celibacy for the sake of the kingdom of heaven.

Publicly and willingly – and, it is to be hoped, joyfully and constantly - they will assume all the above. It is the experience of us who’ve been there before them, that these commitments will surround them and assist them in the fulfilment of their new mission.

This day has been on their horizon for years now, and they have been getting ready to embrace each of these promises in its entirety: we know that they are not a mere formality; rather, they are things that will shape them, and shape them for the good, from today and for the rest of their lives.

We all know that words are easy to say, and promises can appear easy too; nor is this ceremony actually very complicated; but in spite of the simplicity and sobriety of today’s rites, we can still glimpse the profound change that divine grace will be summoned upon to make in them; we see what is being demanded of them in their lives, in private and in public; and even now, we catch sight of how this is going to determine how they will live and how they will serve God and the people round about them for the rest of their lives, both in the diaconate, and later on in the priesthood.

But none of this is magic; none of this is sentimental; none of this is automatic. Even before they were sent to Salamanca and Rome, they were being formed by the Lord and by Providence for what is now coming to pass today. For it to become a lived and lasting reality, then, they will

continue to need your support, so that what is begun today may be completed happily in God’s good time.

Addressing the diaconandi

My dear sons,

None of what I have just said will, of course, come as a surprise to you, since you have probably waited long and impatiently for this day, and wondered if it would ever arrive.

I know, because I was once there too. To come to this day, then, and to be ready to embrace all its commitments with a full heart, is something that is a joy that cannot always be fully appreciated by those who have not committed themselves to Christ in this unique and single-minded way.

Entering holy orders undoubtedly sets you apart, and this is made doubly true, because we live in a world that does not acknowledge, or care to understand, how such a willing, joyful, lifelong commitment is possible, let alone desirable.

A celebration cake each for Matthew (left) and Kieran!

In the Order of Deacons, you will be conformed to Christ, our great Deacon. After all, Christ is the first and the greatest of us deacons. He showed us the path a deacon must tread, the true path of service.

His diaconal service starts at the Annunciation, where true God becomes true man and lives among us: in the Virgin’s womb, the very Son of God becomes a humble, weak, mortal human being, one like us in all things, but sin.

His service as our true Deacon is seen even more vividly in His passion and death on the Cross. From the gift of Himself in the Eucharist at the Last Supper, to the complete emptying of Himself on the Cross, even to His death and His being laid in the tomb, Christ our Deacon shows us a path of service that is a perfect one, and one worthy of reflection and imitation by you.

Archbishop Cushley, flanked by Deacon Matthew (left) and Kieran, along with Bishop Joseph Toal and College staff.

To be a deacon is to serve; to be Christlike is to serve; and you are called to embrace both, in a life of perfect service: a joyful, constant, self-emptying gift to the Lord and His people.

As you know, a deacon is a herald of Christ and of his Word, proclaiming the Gospel, in season and out of season.

As well as proclaiming the Gospel in words, a deacon also learns to serve others by listening to them. Secondly, a deacon is also an ambassador of Christ, representing the Lord faithfully, even in the silent witness of a holy life.

Above all, a deacon is one who serves just as Christ Himself served. For your part, therefore, be prompt in your service; put others before you; complete your duties cheerfully. And let this time of service be the beginning of a life spent joyfully, in imitation of Christ, our great Deacon. Amen!

Q&A: My journey to the diaconate

This Saturday Matthew McCafferty from Bathgate (centre, main pic) will be ordained a Deacon in Rome by Archbishop Cushley.

It is a final step for the 30-year-old seminarian on his journey to the priesthood.

We asked him about life in Rome and his  vocation as we look towards World Day of Prayer for Vocations this Sunday.

Where are you being ordained a deacon?
The Papal Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls. I will be ordained with Kieran Burt of the Diocese of Motherwell. Kieran and I have been together in seminary for over six years so it will be special to be ordained alongside him.

What did you do before entering seminary in 2019?
I studied History at the University of St Andrews before completing teacher training at the University of Glasgow. I  worked briefly as a history teacher at Holyrood Secondary in Glasgow and Taylor High School in Lanarkshire.

What's a typical day like for a seminarian in Rome?
There is and Mass with the rest of the Scottish seminarians at the Scots College at 6:30am. I then make my  way to the Pontifical Gregorian University where classes begin at 8:30am. Back at the College, we either have input from the seminary staff on spiritual and pastoral formation or we head out into the city to our various pastoral assignments. We conclude each day with evening prayers and dinner together in the seminary.

From left: Seminarians Gerard Holden, Kieran Burt (Motherwell Diocese), Matthew McCafferty and Fr Nick Welsh, Vice Rector of the Scots College, at St Margaret's in Dunfermline.

How has living in Rome shaped your spiritual and personal growth?
One of the great privileges is that we attend classes with other seminarians, priests, religious, and lay people from all over the world.  The universality and Catholicity of the Church is constantly on parade in Rome, and no more so than in this Jubilee Year. There are churches here that have served as sites of Christian worship for 1700 years, and many of them contain the relics of well-known saints.  Attending Mass at these locations has deepened my appreciation for the rich traditions of our faith and heightens the sense of belonging to something much bigger and greater than ourselves.

 I have been lucky to learn from some great priests in parishes across the Archdiocese.

What does being a deacon involve?
A deacon is ordained to serve the People of God and specifically to assist at the altar during Mass. This means that a deacon can proclaim the Gospel and preach, as well as conduct funerals and baptisms. I will be ordained a transitional deacon (as opposed to a permanent deacon) which means that it serves as a kind of ‘final step’ closer to the altar in preparing for ordination to the priesthood.

What preparation do you do to become a deacon?
Ordination to the Diaconate comes after two years spent studying Philosophy, followed by four years studying Theology. During that time we also undertake practical experience at parishes in Scotland and in Rome. I have been lucky to learn from some great priests in parishes across the Archdiocese.

Fr Mark Cassidy, Rector of the Scots College, leads a class for seminarians.

What advice would you give to someone who feels they might be called to a religious vocation but is unsure?
Firstly, it’s so important to pray consistently, asking God to help you to understand what it is He wants from you in your life.  Secondly, it’s really helpful to talk to someone about it, ideally a priest. It does not mean that he will sign you up there and then! But the mere act of vocalising these thoughts and prayers can really help with gaining some clarity. Lastly, seize the moment and act! It’s tempting to be a ‘perpetual discerner,’ toying with the idea of the priesthood or religious life but putting off pursuing it. Patience is key in discerning a religious vocation, but at a certain point God calls us all to action. That action might simply be talking to a friend, family member, or priest for the first time, or it might be contacting the Vocations Director.

Normalising publicly praying for vocations in our parishes, schools, and university chaplaincies is very important.

Are there any saints or role models who have influenced your path to the priesthood?
I’ve been lucky to have been influenced by the witness of many priests in our Archdiocese while on parish placements.  They have been great examples of commitment and deep faith. But above all, I have been struck by the joy with which they live out their priesthood. I would also say that I’ve been very fortunate to have lived and studied with some great friends in the seminary. It’s been hugely inspiring to see them making such a positive contribution to the Church in the real world outside seminary.

What message would you share about supporting vocations on the World Day of Prayer for Vocations? 
Please pray for those currently studying for the priesthood and for an increase in vocations to the priesthood. It is a huge support to know that people at home are keeping us in their prayers. I don’t think vocations just appear in a vacuum; rather, they are often the product of a sustained culture in any given place which offers spiritual and emotional support to those making the first tentative steps to exploring what God is asking of them in their lives. So, I think normalising publicly praying for vocations in our parishes, schools, and university chaplaincies is very important.

If you feel you may be called to the priesthood or religious life, contact our Vocations Directors here. World Day of Prayer for Vocations is this Sunday. A special collection will take place for the Ecclesiastical Students Fund, which helps cover tuition fees and living costs for our seminarians. You can also donate at bit.ly/eccstudents25.

Scotland congratulates Pope Leo XIV

People from across Scotland have offered congratulations following the election of Cardinal Robert Prevost as Pope XIV.

Archbishop Cushley posted on X: “On behalf of the people and clergy of St Andrews & Edinburgh, I am delighted to salute the new Holy Father.

"We offer our heartfelt prayers and support for him personally and for his ministry as Chief Shepherd of the universal Church.

"May the good Lord bless him, and may he keep us all united with Christ and each other.”

The First Minister released a statement saying: "This is a momentous moment for Catholics in Scotland and around the world."

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar posted: "Let the message of His Holiness, the new Pope, of building bridges be a lesson to the world in these troubled times."

In Rome, John Patrick Mallon of Lanarkshire-based Sancta Familia Media was interviewed by Fox News.

Clutching a celebratory beer alongside cousin and colleague Brian Timmons, he said: "A toast to our new Pope Leo XIV from Scotland."

The Rt Rev Dr Shaw Paterson said: "On behalf of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland may I offer my very best wishes to the Roman Catholic Church on the election of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV."

Bishop Joseph Toal of Motherwell Diocese said he was "delighted" that a new Pope had been elected in this video from Being Catholic TV.

The Bishops’ Conference of Scotland stated: "Pope Leo reminded the crowds that he is a son of St Augustine, the great saint and doctor of the Church, who brought light and understanding to a world that was falling apart in the 4th century.
"We pray that our new Holy Father will bring that same spirit of peace, light and understanding to all men and women in Scotland and throughout the world, that the Church will embrace those who are afraid and doubting.
God bless our Pope

Fr Ninian witnesses Catholic faith in Nepal

Wellwishers have helped an Edinburgh-based priest smash a fundraising target to help the poorest parish in Kathmandu.

Fr Ninian Doohan aimed to raise £750 for the community project at St Ignatius' Church in the Nepalese capital and hit the heights after receiving more than £5,000!

He arrived in Nepal on Friday and has been posting updates on social media ahead of a trip to Everest base camp.

He said: "In the last few days I’ve been soaked on the back of a motorbike getting to know the church communities better, traversing roads (rocks with mud on top!), and had the privilege of being with different families to enjoy their hospitality.

"I’ve also spoken with Religious Sisters of the Good Shepherd who help rescue trafficked children, foster minors from families in the proximate danger of abuse, and help rebuild homes destroyed by earthquakes and landslides."
Fr Ninian (seated at front) received a warm welcome at St Ignatius' Church on Saturday (Facebook).

The community project is part of a Jesuit Mission and a broader network of activities supports mobile clinics, special schools, and the general material welfare of the people.

The trip to Nepal was inspired after baptising Gele Bishokarma from Nepal in 2023 at St Patrick’s in the Cowgatre, where Fr Ninian is based.

He said: "I promised him that I’d meet him on his own native soil, and I’d like to help the Church there in any way I can with a small mission, at least to just see our Catholic Faith lived out in the highest point on Earth."

Fr Ninian has been warmly welcomed by Catholic families in Kathmandu.

After several days in Kathmandu Fr Ninian flew on Wednesday (7 May) to Lukla on a 13-day round trip that will take in Everest based camp.

He said: "Modern amenities work even in remote settings, the first tweet from the peak of Everest was sent in May 2011, so I may just find out who the new Pope is by the time I reach Everest Base Camp.

"Prayers assured on what is a pilgrimage of prayer."

To donate to the community project at St Ignatius' Church in Nepal click here. Follow Fr Ninian's journey on Facebook and Instagram.

Contact your MSP on assisted suicide now!

The Scottish Parliament is expected to vote on doctor-assisted suicide in just one week (Tuesday 13th May).

The Bishops of Scotland have written to the Catholic community inviting them to reject the proposals and to contact their MSPs.

You can email your MSP in a few easy clicks at carenotkilling.scot

The pastoral letter was sent to every parish in the country and distributed at Masses last weekend.

They wrote: "Assisted suicide, allows the state to provide the means of killing our brothers and sisters.

"One of the tests of good law is that it ensures our weakest citizens can feel safe. This law does the opposite and frightens the most vulnerable all around us.

"When vulnerable people, including the elderly and disabled, express concerns about being a burden, the appropriate response is not to suggest that they have a duty to die.

"Rather, it is to commit ourselves to meeting their needs and providing the care and compassion they need to help them live."

The letter tied in with a day of prayer that took place on Sunday 4 May, including a Mass and Rosary led by Bishop John Keenan (Paisley Diocese) at St Augustine's Church in Coatbridge on Sunday.

 

Celebrating Fr Tommy Geenan

Come and celebrate the life of the late Fr Tommy Greenan at St Mary's Cathedral, Edinburgh, this Thursday (8 May) at 7:30pm.

Tommy was a priest of our Archdiocese who served the poor in El Salvador at a time when Catholic priests were under threat of execution.

Speakers will share their memories of Tommy and tell the story of how The Song of the Poor came to be published following his death.

The Song of the Poor will be available for purchase at the event and there will be tea/coffee. No registration required, free event.

Prayers for Pope Francis at Requiem Mass

Archishop Cushley today celebrated a Requiem Mass at St Mary's Cathedral, Edinburgh, in memory of Pope Francis.

Kate Forbes, the Deputy First Minister, was in attendance to represent the Scottish Government and read the first reading (Acts 10:34-43)

Kate Forbes reading at the Requiem Mass.

Also attending was Scottish Labour Leader Anas Sarwar and Annie Wells of the Scottish Conservatives.

***

Homily of Archbishop Leo Cushley of St Andrews & Edinburgh, Funeral Mass for the repose of the soul of His late Holiness Pope Francis, St Mary’s Metropolitan Cathedral, Edinburgh, 28 April 2025.

My dear friends,

Today we gather to thank almighty God for the graces bestowed on us through Pope Francis’s ministry as Bishop of Rome, and to commend him to the Lord’s mercy.

On behalf of the clergy and people of this archdiocese, I’d like to thank all of you for joining us here today, especially the civil and religious leaders of our nation and our capital city, led by our Deputy First Minster and our Lord Provost.

Thank you for many kind expressions of condolence and for mourning with us on this sad occasion.

Kind, open, no-nonsense

In many ways, Jorge Bergoglio was a first: he was the first Jesuit pope, the first American pope, and the first pope from the global south.  From his very first day in office, he struck me again and again as someone who was kind, open and no nonsense.

He was simple and essential, he was personal and pastoral.  He was deciso, the nearest English to it is “decisive”, but with a dash of determination too: he was listening, but he was also someone who knew his own mind.

He usually did all this with a smile, and sometimes even while pulling your leg.

Pupils from St Mary's Primary in Edinburgh at the shrine to Pope Francis.

It's fairly obvious now, but Francis brought who he was to the great office of pope: he was Argentinian, but with a sprinkling of an Italian background.

His family were poor immigrants to a strange country; he was a Jesuit, trained in Ignatian prayer and discernment; when he became a bishop, it was to serve for twenty years the people of the sprawling city of Buenos Aires, some of them very poor, until he went to Rome in 2013 and was elected pope.

He was evidently very close to his people and was committed to them; yet after being elected pope he never returned to Argentina, perhaps because, a little like St Paul, he loved his friends from home, but he was also committed to the mission before him, not just the one behind him.

Pope Francis had many human gifts, but his experience had hardly prepared him for a truly international leadership. And the papacy isn’t just a tiny remnant of an Italian principality on the Tiber.

The Pope is a head of state with a long reach, as was in full view at his funeral on Saturday.

People came from across the Archdiocese to pray for Pope Francis.

Looking to the pope is a world-wide Church of a billion people.

But this is based, first and foremost, on being the Bishop of Rome.

Pope Francis, with all his pastoral experience, naturally preferred first to be a bishop and a pastor of souls, but he also learned how to use the reach of the papacy to make his voice heard on subjects of international importance.

Guiding the Church

Francis endeavoured to reform the Vatican’s bureaucracy, to set its finances in better order, and to find a way to guide the Church through the other great issues of our days.  But I’m not sure that the Holy See, or its reform, was the primary focus of his engagement with his new role as pope.

I think that he preferred to use the Holy See’s international presence to plea for peace, to draw attention to the plight of migrants, people caught up in war, people on the street, people on the margins.

A woman lights a candle for Pope Francis.

The pastoral heart of the former Archbishop of Buenos Aires always went out more to people, and less to institutions.

In exploring what synodality might mean in the Catholic Church, his attention was drawn above all to having us learn again to listen to each other.

He did everything he could, right up to his visit ten days ago to a Roman prison, to remind us that our God is a merciful God: he said, If we wish to be faithful disciples of Jesus of Nazareth, we must be open towards our fellow human beings, no matter who or what they are; we must accompany them with our time and patience, with our humility and energy.

In the Our Father, Christians undertake to forgive our brothers and sisters their trespasses, just as we pray that God will forgive us ours.

Nothing new in that per se; but it was Francis’s fresh emphasis on the mutuality of mercy that caught our attention.

Clergy at the Requiem Mass.

He had a special care for the earth, and with large and small gestures he called us back to being true stewards of God’s good creation, to be satisfied with less stuff, and to be content with what we already have.

I know that he was minded to accept the invitation to COP 26, and only ill health made him cancel, some ten days before, a trip he had intended to make to Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Service to God

Towards us clergy, as individuals, Francis was invariably friendly and welcoming.

That didn’t stop him, however, admonishing us as a group to avoid pitfalls such as clericalism.  In this, I’ve sometimes compared him to a St Ignatius or a St Francis Xavier, urging clergy to be out among their people, rather than being stuck at home with their noses in their books.

We all know that our service to God doesn’t replace our duty to serve God’s people; but the Holy Father was right to remind us that both are equally part of our vocation, and to model our lives on the mystery of the Lord’s Cross.

The Scripture readings we heard today are those that Francis chose for his funeral on Saturday, and we are wearing red, the traditional colour for a pope’s funeral.  The Gospel reading in particular is one that we can connect easily with him in a number of ways.

Archbishop Cushley reads his homily.

The story from St John is of the third time the risen Lord appears to the eleven.  Peter, who has denied the Lord three times, is now invited to erase the memory of that, by affirming three times that he loves the Lord.

Even the fact that he dives out the boat and swims eagerly to the shore to meet Him speaks of his remaining affection for the Lord, in spite of letting Jesus down and running away like everyone else before the Crucifixion.

Jesus now gently asks him if he loves Him more than these others do.  Three times, Peter replies, “Yes, Lord, I love you”, and the Lord says in return, “Feed my lambs”, and “Feed my sheep”.  We can’t hear it in English, but in the Greek original, Peter famously replies “I love you” in a way that means, “You know I can’t love you as perfectly as you deserve, but I’ll love you as best I can”.

But Jesus accepts that: he accepts Peter, with all his imperfections, and confirms him in his task to lead and to care for Christ’s flock.  That’s what Peter did.  That’s what the popes endeavour to honour as Successors of Peter in the See of Rome.  And in his turn, that’s what Pope Francis tried to do too, to lead by example to care for one another, especially the poorest and the weakest.

Justice & Mercy

Francis was interested in justice and in mercy.  Our imperfect human law-making is an endeavour to balance these two things.  Creating legislation and applying it are worthy and important tasks at the service of society.

Often difficult choices have to be made by legislators and magistrates, and we all appreciate what those who represent us in parliament and those who apply our laws must do on our behalf.  Francis was deeply interested in both justice and mercy.

Kate Forbes MSP is welcomed by Archbishop Cushley and Fr Robert Taylor.

He urged us to find better ways to peace than through war; he urged a renewed sense of care for each other, especially the voiceless, and the excluded; above all, though, he brought a fresh focus on mercy, the mercy we owe each other, the mercy that is the glue of healthy relationships in a healthy society.

The world doesn’t always believe in mercy.  But Pope Francis did, and with all his heart.

The memory of him as a man of mercy will surely endure for a long time to come.

Francis’s labours now over, may the Lord now welcome this merciful man into His peace, even as we give thanks for his example as a priest, as a leader, as a disciple of the Risen Lord.

May God be merciful to this merciful man.  Amen.

Gallery: Encounters with Pope Francis

On the eve of the funeral of Pope Francis, we've gathered images of those based in the Archdiocese who came face-to-face with the Holy Father.

Prayerfulness: Fr Jamie McMorrin, of St Margaret's, Davidson's Mains, Edinburgh, was a Deacon when he assisted at a Papal Mass in St Peter’s Basilica to celebrate the Feast of the Chair of Peter, February 2016. At that time he said: "The biggest lesson and the most deeply-engraved memory which I will take away from the experience of Monday was the careful, recollected prayerfulness with which the Holy Father celebrated Mass.”

Moment of grace: Susan Boyle, the Scottish singer who is a parishioner at Our Lady of Lourdes in Blackburn, West Lothian, met Pope Francis at the Vatican in 2019, ahead of her performance at the Vatican's annual Christmas Concert. Vatican Media.

Smiles: A joyful and poignant image of the late Archbishop Philip Tartaglia of Glasgow Archdiocese, with Archbishop Cushley and the Holy Father in the Vatican in September 2016. The event was to mark the 400th anniversary of the Founding of The Pontifical Scots' College as a Seminary.

Blessing: A lovely photo of the Holy Father and Amelia from SS Alphonsa & Anthony Syro Malabar Catholic Mission Edinburgh, at a Papal audience at St Peter's Square in October last year, posted on Pope Francis' Instagram. He wrote: "Let us pray the Rosary daily, entrusting ourselves confidently into the hands of Mary!" (Instagram)

Whisky gift: William McQuillan, now priest at St John the Baptist in Fauldhouse, watches on as Charles Coyle presents a bottle of whisky to Pope Francis during a visit of seminarians and staff from the Pontifical Scots College to the Vatican in 2018. Both were deacons at the time of this picture and Charles is now a priest of Motherwell Diocese. (Vatican Media)

Blessing: After their wedding in Scotland in 2022, Emma and Jamie McGowan, of Culross, went to Rome and were delighted to meet Pope Francis.

Special moment: Pope Francis congratulates Leo Cushley after his nomination as 8th Archbishop and Metropolitan of St Andrews & Edinburgh by Pope Francis in 2013. (Vatican Media)

St Andrew's Day: Fr Nick Welsh, Vice-Rector of the Pontifical Scots College in Rome, and a priest of the Archdiocese, shared the above photo of priests and seminarians meeting Pope Francis on St Andrew's Day in 2023. (Fr Nick is second from left) (Pontifical Scots College)

Happy encounter: Fr Tony Lappin (St Joseph's, Peebles, and St James', Innerleithen) posted the above photo on Facebook and wrote: "My brief meeting with Pope Francis on 18 April 2013 when, after being elected Pope, he took possession of the Basilica of St Paul’s Outside the Walls, one of the four papal basilicas in Rome."

College update: Archbishop Leo Cushley and Fr Mark Cassidy, Rector of the Pontifical Scots College, had a Private Audience with the Holy Father in October 2023. The meeting was in response to the Pope's enquiry into the progress of the efforts to relocate the College. (Vatican Media).

Rosary: Fr John Adesotu, priest at St Kessog'a Parish (Balfron and Blanefield) said: "I met Pope Francis on November 11, 2022. It was on the occasion of my College’s (Pontifical Collegio Nepomucenum) visit to him while I was a student in Rome. On that occasion he gave me a beautiful Rosary that I still use to this day."

Patience and kindness: Fr Jock Dalrymple of St John's and St Mary Magdalene's in Edinburgh, shared the above video from a papal audience in 2022. He wrote: “At the end of the audience, although already in considerable pain from a knee (from the following week, he was forced to use a wheelchair) Pope Francis spent nearly an hour meeting members of the audience, taking time with each.

Eventually, he came to a religious sister standing directly in front of us: as the video clip shows, he took enormous trouble with her, giving his full attention as she asked him if he knew when a book about ‘The Disappeared’ in Argentina (in General Pinochet’s time) would be translated into Italian, and duly responding, before finally moving on to the many others wanting to have a word with him.

For me their encounter was a kind of ‘icon’, illustrating his humility, humanity, patience and kindness. May he rest in the peace he so richly deserves.”

A Requiem Mass for Pope Francis will be celebrated by Archbishop Cushley at St Mary's Cathedral in Edinburgh on Monday 28 April at 12:45pm. Read Archbishop Cushley's reflection on Pope Francis here.

Archbishop's tribute to Pope Francis

On the news of the death of Pope Francis, we will all have various reactions.

Personally, I knew him and worked with him, so it’ll take a while for me to sort out my own memories of him.

When he was elected, I remember his first day in the office, welcoming him into the library where the popes receive the great and the good in the Apostolic Palace.

He had never worked in the Vatican before that, so he had it all to learn.

Because there had been no time to brief him beforehand, I was asked to put before him a couple of draft speeches for his official meetings that morning, with the College of Cardinals, Christian leaders from all over the world, and so on.

He dutifully sat down in the big chair, picked up a draft speech, read a few lines and then put it down.

Another priest and I waited to see if he wanted something but, instead, he looked up and gazed silently towards the other end of the room, where there is a serene painting of Christ by Perugino.

And he took a minute to be still and to pray instead.

It felt like he was still absorbing what had just happened to him, and was calmly getting ready for what was next – the rest of his life as the Bishop of Rome.

He never looked afraid.

In fact, I always found Pope Francis warm, confident, personable, and always humorous.

He had to meet fellow heads of state and heads of government, he had to meet endless numbers of VIPs, but his real warmth and passion was always for people, not personages.

He was interested in real people, their welfare, their sufferings.

Pope Francis was a man of our times, and through his closeness to the poor and the weak, he made us ask again whether we want a world governed by mere self-interest or one built on care and respect for each other as fellow pilgrims.

May the Lord show mercy to this merciful man.

A Requiem Mass for Pope Francis will be celebrated by Archbishop Cushley at St Mary's Cathedral in Edinburgh on Monday 28 April at 12:45pm.

'He wanted to bless our broken world'

Father Gerard Maguiness, who met Pope Francis in February, writes in The Scotsman about what the first Jesuit to be Supreme Pontiff meant to him. Father Maguiness is the general secretary of the Bishops' Conference of Scotland and a priest of the Diocese of Motherwell.

***

It was with great sadness but not surprise that I heard the news of the passing of Pope Francis on this Easter Monday morning.

I was blessed to meet Pope Francis at his last general audience on February 12, just two days before he was admitted to hospital – he was a very ill man (see title image).

These past few weeks struggling with illness and the frailty of old age summarised the determination and commitment of Pope Francis; even yesterday on the balcony of St Peter's Basilica, Pope Francis made an appearance to bless the city and the world, urbe et orbe.

Father Gerard Maguiness, right, met Pope Francis in February in Rome.

Despite the burden of his illness weighing on him, he wanted to bless our broken world and invite all of us to pray for peace and healing.

In a world characterised by polarisation and conflict, Pope Francis was a unifying figure who reached out to all Catholics, all Christians, to the Jewish people, to Muslims, and all the major world religions.

None should be excluded

He was a great believer that nobody is excluded from the loving mercy of Jesus Christ and this extended to those who don't have an explicit belief in God and those distant from the Church because of the failings of members of the Church.

Where did this vision of Pope Francis have its roots? Pope Francis was the first Jesuit Pope. The Company of Jesus or Jesuits were formed by St Ignatius of Loyola in the 16th century to reach out to a world that was changing rapidly due to the Reformation.

The motto of the Jesuits is ad maiorem Dei gloriam, meaning for the greater glory of God. Pope Francis endeavoured to make the glory of God present in our world, a glory that is revealed by the love of Christ crucified on the cross.

From a crucifix, Jesus spoke to the young Saint Francis and told him to rebuild His church in the 13th century. Undoubtedly Pope Francis, in choosing this name, saw his role to rebuild the Church in our time, especially given the crisis of faith caused by abuse.

His response to the challenges facing the Church and also our world was not despondent. The first letter published by Pope Francis was The Joy of the Gospel. Our world needs the Good News of the Gospel, it needs joy, it needs light in the darkness, it needs healing and a way to look forward.

Almost in exile during Argentina’s dictatorship

As the Jesuit priest Jorge Bergoglio, Pope Francis experienced personal difficulties during the dictatorship in Argentina. He found himself almost exiled to Germany to study theology. Fortunately in that difficult period, Pope Francis also discovered a prayer, a devotion to Mary, the mother of Jesus, known as ‘Our Lady, untier of knots’.

He was able to untie the knots of his ministry and see that life is never so desperate that the loving mercy of Jesus Christ cannot overcome the problems that we cause through our human failures. He would go on in the Joy of the Gospel to describe the Church and the world as a field hospital.

Human beings are wounded and hurting and the role of a follower of Jesus is to bring healing, not condemnation. He warned the clergy that they are not guardians of the grace of God but channels of God’s grace and forgiveness.

Joint trip with Kirk Moderator

Pope Francis would develop this openness to others through his pastoral visits to countries with small Catholic communities, such as Iraq and Mongolia, and also through his letter Fratelli Tutti – we are all brothers and sisters.

Furthermore, Pope Francis realised that – as well as the need for Christians to work together, expressed particularly for us through his joint trip with the Moderator of the Church of Scotland and the Archbishop of Canterbury to South Sudan, and the desire for dialogue with others of all faiths and none – our planet, our common home needs all men and women of good will to work together, as summed up in his letter, Laudato si’.

Pope Francis will be remembered as the Pope who loved our world, who loved people especially the young, the elderly, the frail and the wounded. He would not allow anyone to limit the love of God revealed in Jesus Christ.

A shepherd with the smell of the sheep, who reminded his flock not to be miserable but to be merciful, to be joyful and to always look for the way forward when we are lost.