Archbishop launches Synod with Holy Mass at Cathedral

Archbishop Cushley marked the beginning of the Synod process in our Archdiocese with Holy Mass at St Mary's Cathedral today.

In his homily he explained the three themes of the Synod - communion, participation and mission.

He said:  "As we pray for the success of the upcoming Synod, the Holy Father asks us to be faithful to our communion; to open our hearts and our minds to his Spirit and his Word; and to train ourselves for mission, spiritually, intellectually and morally.

"Then we will be ready to participate worthily and maturely in the renewal of the Church of Christ that we all of us long very much to see."

Sr Anna Marie McGuan, the Archdiocesan synod delegate for the Synod, spoke at the end of Mass, calling for us to put Jesus, "the Way, the Truth and the Life" (John 14:6) at the centre of the process as we seek to do His will for the Church.

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Homily of Archbishop Leo Cushley - Sunday Mass for the opening of the consultation on the Synod

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

By the Holy Father’s wish, today has become the day when all the local churches throughout the world have been invited to pray for the success of the next synod to be held in Rome in 2023.

The Holy Father wishes to encourage the Church throughout the world to re-awaken its potential in addressing today’s challenges, and in how we propose the Good News of salvation to a world that either does not know or does not care about Jesus Christ.

Pope Francis proposes to do so, by asking us to consider three themes: communion, participation and mission.  He wishes us to do so by placing the Word of God at the centre of our preparations and reflections.

Communion

As the Holy Father rightly emphasises, the Catholic Church is constituted as a communion.  It is gathered around the Successor of Peter in the See of Rome, and through the koinonia, or communion, shared between the College of Bishops and the Bishop of Rome, we here are all held in a communion which is effective and affective.

That communion is something as essential to who we are as a Church, and it is as essential to our existence as it is delicate.  St Ignatius of Antioch, a figure from the very earliest pages of the Church, and whose feast we celebrate today, leaves us a memory of the Church’s self-understanding from those times just after the Apostles that has always remained central to how the Catholic Church sees herself.  He writes that wherever the bishop is, there is the church.

Archbishop Cushley celebrated Mass at St Mary's Cathedral, Edinburgh, today.

In his days, there were already those who, although professing Christ, thought differently from their bishop, celebrated their Masses separately, thought themselves better, purer, holier, than their fellow Catholics gathered around the bishop.  But, Ignatius taught that, to be part of the communion, you must be in and stay in communion with the bishop.  Among many other examples of the real and painful struggle to maintain communion is St Athanasius.

He was mistreated and exiled many times, even at the order of the Christian authorities, before finally, not long before he died, he was able to return home to his See.  For many years, he was exiled because of his faith in the divinity of Christ, but Athanasius held that even if the Catholic faith is in the minority, it is still the Catholic faith.  Time and trials proved him right, and he has remained an inspiration throughout the centuries, to faithfulness and to communion with the universal Church.

Participation

Pope Francis also urges us to consider the theme of participation. His remarks, aimed at the whole Catholic world in every country, will be seen in a different context in each land.  Here, in this country, Catholics are among those who have been excluded by wider society.  Catholics living in Scotland only achieved economic parity at the end of the 1980s.

The Scots-Irish Catholic community, to which most of us have a connection, was “excluded” from society for a very long time.

Sr Anna Marie McGuan RSM, the Archdiocesan synod delegate, speaking at the end of the Mass.

So, we know what exclusion, and being on the periphery, looks and feels like.  Knowing what it is like ought to help all of us understand the Holy Father’s insight here, and I hope it will help remind us of lessons we should have already learned over the generations, of how to react to those who mistrust us and our motives, responding with an open heart, when the opportunity presents itself.

Remembering what it was like for us, and or those who came before us, let us be neighbours and friends to all whom we meet, without exception.  Let us not forget our Christian duty of charity to all on the margins, and not least our own people.

By doing so, we will also honour those who have gone before us.

Mission

Thirdly, the Holy Father asks us to revisit our sense of mission.  It is true that we have lost much of our sense of mission over the last decades.  When I was young, we were encouraged to give a few pennies from our dinner money to help children in the countries we called the “mission countries”.  We have learned to be slightly embarrassed by it now, and to judge, using modern standards, the way this charity was packaged.

Our missionary action now on behalf of these countries is sadly diminished, but having lived and worked in various countries abroad, I know how it remains every bit as welcome now as it was then.  Our financial help to the Catholic Church in Asia, Africa, or the Americas is something that was extremely important to those local churches, but it has waned and our enthusiasm for it has cooled.

We like to think that, today, we are less patronising or more enlightened, but our supposed enlightenment has reduced the real missionary outreach of the local church in those countries, and I know they still welcome warmly the help of their wealthier brothers and sisters.

In the meantime, “mission” has become something that refers also to proclaiming the good news with our own lives and in our own countries, and it is true that many in our own land believe they have outgrown Christianity and its cultural legacy.  Its message of salvation in Jesus Christ is one that now receives the world-weary answer that St Paul first heard when he proclaimed the good news to the Greeks.

To the call to belief in the Risen Lord, they laughed, or simply said, “Let’s hear about this another time” and moved on.  As far as the west today is concerned, the Holy Father is right to point out how our Christian lands have lost their way, how Christian ethics have been replaced by money, power and the vanity of social media, and how we have returned to being “mission” countries, in need of the Word of God.

Praying for the Synod's success

My dear friends, as Pope Francis urges us, let us therefore pray for God’s Holy Spirit and his enlightenment.  But, before we go out to convert society, let us put our own house in order first.  Let us form ourselves through prayer and penance, and let us train ourselves to be authentic missionary disciples who draw people to Christ more by our example, than by easy words and the accommodation of the world and its agenda.

As we pray for the success of the upcoming Synod, the Holy Father asks us to be faithful to our communion; to open our hearts and our minds to his Spirit and his Word; and to train ourselves for mission, spiritually, intellectually and morally.

Then we will be ready to participate worthily and maturely in the renewal of the Church of Christ that we all of us long very much to see.  Amen.

Watch: pupils and staff commit to Laudato Si'

Archbishop Cushley led an outdoor service yesterday for St Andrew's Fox Covert Primary School in Corstorphine, where pupils and staff have committed to becoming a Laudato Si' school!

We encourage all schools in the Archdiocese to join them. Watch the video below or on our YouTube channel.

Laudato Si is Pope Francis' encycical on caring for our common home. Read it here. Find out more about becoming a Laudato Si school here.

Scottish Catholic magazine launches this weekend

A new magazine for Scotland’s Catholics is to launch this weekend. The Scottish Catholic is a fortnightly magazine owned and run by three Catholic journalists

Managing Editor, Ian Dunn, said he and co-owners, Mary McGinty and Dan McGinty, believe there is a hunger for a dedicated Catholic publication in Scotland.

“People are quick to write off Catholicism and to quick write off print journalism, but there’s still plenty of people in Church on Sunday and plenty of people who want to read stories about their faith and their community.”

“Of course the Church has taken a hit during the pandemic,” he said. “Not everyone has come back yet, but we’re the original broad Church, there’s still a tremendous amount of life and excitement in parishes from Stornaway to Selkirk and we’re going to cover all of it.

Opportunity

Dunn is a former editor of the Scottish Catholic Observer, which ceased publication in 2020 after 135 years.

“What happened to the Observer was extremely sad, it’s a great loss but these things happen for a reason," he said. This seemed like a fantastic opportunity to take the best of that paper and put it into a fresh new package.

Our community needs a voice, to help us talk to each other and the wider world, and we will be that voice.”

The magazine, which will have print and digital editions, is independent of the Church but has the support of the Scottish Bishops.

A spokesperson said: "The Bishops’ Conference of Scotland welcomes the launch of the Scottish Catholic and wishes its founders every success in their mission to create a place where the voice of the Catholic community in Scotland can be heard,”

“An increasingly secular mainstream media often leads to superficial coverage of the Church and its teachings, making the role of the Catholic media very important. We hope the Scottish Catholic will promote the values of the Gospels, proudly present the teachings of the church and reflect Scottish Catholic life across our country.”

The first edition of Scottish Catholic will be available in parishes all over Scotland on the weekend of the 16th October and subscriptions are available through the website at www.scottishcatholic.com.

Melwin's medal for outstanding service to his parish

Congratulations to Melwin Antony, who has been awarded the Archdiocesan Medal for outstanding service to the church.

Archbishop Leo presented the medal to him during Mass at St Michael's Parish in Linlithgow recently.

Melwin receives the medal from Archbishop Cushley as Canon Kelly looks on.

Melwin was nominated by parish priest Canon Paul Kelly for his example of "faithful service and generosity" in helping livestream Masses, funerals and school services during lockdown, using his background in computers and photography.

Canon Kelly said: "From the moment of lockdown last year, he provided every Sunday a live stream of our 9:15am Mass, with recorded readings, hymns, and sung parts of the Mass."

Expertise

He continued: "He has also been of help in livestreaming school Masses and funerals and put his professional expertise at the service of the church.

"This has been greatly appreciated by members of the parish, who see his work has keeping the parish together especially during lockdown.

"His work is appreciated by those elderly and vulnerable members of the parish who are still nervous about attending Sunday Mass, though many of them come on weekdays."

Melvin is married to Dini and they have four young children. The whole family are originally from Kerala in India and his parents also live in the parish.

The Archdiocesan Medal for Outstanding Service to the Church was established in 1975 by Cardinal Gordon Joseph Gray, Archbishop of St Andrews & Edinburgh.

Watch: Archbishop Cushley invites you to Synod Mass

Archbishop Cushley invites you to join him for Holy Mass to launch the diocesan phase of the Synod, at 3pm this Sunday (17th at St Mary's Cathedral, Edinburgh. Watch the video invite below or on our YouTube channel.

Archbishop Cushley to launch synod with Mass at Cathedral

Archbishop Cushley invites you to the launch of the Synod in our Archdiocese next Sunday (17th) with Holy Mass at 3pm in St Mary's Cathedral, Edinburgh.

The worldwide Synod was launched by Pope Francis today (Saturday 9th) with a time for reflection. He said:
  • The protagonist of the synod is the Holy Spirit.
  • We must walk together with meekness and courage.
  • We must be a listening church: "The Holy Spirit leads us where God wants us to go, not where we want to go because of our ideas."
The theme for the Synod 2021-2023 is Communion, Participation and Mission. Find out more about the process in our video

St Mary’s University launches Edinburgh Campus

St Mary's University, Twickenham, has formally launched its new Edinburgh campus in a boost for Catholic education in Scotland.

Guest, students and staff attended Mass and a reception at the Gillis Centre last night (Wednesday) where courses begin today.

The event began with the celebration of a Votive Mass of the Holy Spirit, a tradition at the beginning of the academic year in Catholic universities all over the world, and included music from St Mary's Cathedral choir.

In his homily, Archbishop Cushley said, "We ask the Lord to bless this new venture abundantly.

"If it is the Lord’s will, we will have begun something that will, in the fulness of time, bring greater strength to Catholic education in our land, and to the greater glory of God."

After Mass, students got the chance to see the newly refurbished classrooms and chat with course leaders and St Mary's staff.

Guests included Bishop Joseph Toal (Motherwell Diocese) and Bishop Richard Moth (Arundel & Brighton Diocese), St Mary’s Chair of Governors, as well as headteachers from local schools.

Bishop Moth said, "This is an important moment in the life of St Mary's and, we pray, in the life of Catholic Education in Scotland.

“It's a wonderful step forward to work with the Archdiocese in assisting the growth of theological study."

St Mary’s Vice-Chancellor Anthony McClaran said, "From the beginning there was an absolute understanding and a commitment between St Mary's and the Archdiocese that we would see this venture come to light.

"That's why it's wonderful to see it happening this evening as we launch St Mary's University here in Edinburgh."

To find out more visit stmarys.ac.uk/Edinburgh

 

Children's Liturgy Guide for Sundays in October

Here are the latest Sunday-by-Sunday guides for those who lead the Children's Liturgy in parishes (or at home).
Thanks to all our Children's Liturgy leaders for helping deepen kids' love for Christ and His Church!

Church establishes new independent safeguarding agency

The Catholic Church in Scotland is to create a new independent safeguarding agency which will promote "consistency, transparency and accountability."

The announcement was made by Bishop Hugh Gilbert at a national safeguarding webinar held today, attended by 450 people.

He said: “The Scottish Catholic Safeguarding Standards Agency (SCSSA) will operate entirely independently of the Church.

"It will have its own staff and Board of Management who will work in close collaboration with dioceses and religious communities to ensure that they are able to meet national safeguarding standards.

"It will also develop a process that will provide an independent review of complaints about safeguarding practice and crucially, establish a forum in which those who have experienced abuse can contribute their own perspectives to the development of safeguarding.”

Recruitment

Bishop Hugh, who is President of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland, added: “We will shortly commence the recruitment process for the Chair and members of the Board of Management, followed by the recruitment of a Director and a Head of Safeguarding Training.

Bishop Hugh Gilbert appeared at today's safeguarding webinar to make the announement.

"It will take some time to establish the new agency and we ask for your patience and support while that process is underway.

He finished: “The Bishops ask for your prayers that the Holy Spirt will guide us in the selection of suitable candidates who will bring authority and credibility to the work of this new agency that will promote consistency, transparency and accountability across Catholic Church institutions in Scotland.”

Find out more about safeguarding in our Archdiocese in the safeguarding section of this website.

Pope to Bishops: Love alone satisfies the heart

In his homily at Mass with the Council of Bishops’ Conferences of Europe (CCEE) on Thursday, Pope Francis reflected on "three words that challenge us as Christians and Bishops in Europe: reflect, rebuild and see.", writes Francesca Merlo in Vatican News.

Bishops from across Europe, including Archbishop Leo Cushley, are in Rome to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the CCEE with a plenary conference on 23-26 September.

Reflect

God, speaking through the Old Testament prophet Haggai, invites us to reflect on how we live our lives, said the Pope: Twice the prophet says to the people: “Reflect on your ways!” ( Hag 1:5.7).

The Pope noted that those words, 'Reflect on your ways!', are challenging because in Europe today, "we Christians can be tempted to remain comfortably ensconced in our structures, our homes and our churches, in the security provided by our traditions, content with a certain degree of consensus, while all around us churches are emptying and Jesus is increasingly forgotten".

He asked the bishops and all those present to consider "how many people no longer hunger and thirst for God."

This is not because they are evil, he continued, but because there is "no one to awaken in them a hunger for faith and to satisfy that thirst in the human heart". Certainly, we are “preoccupied” by this, but are we really “occupied” with responding to it? asked the Pope.

There is no sense in judging those who do not believe, said the Pope. "Do we feel concern and compassion for those who have not had the joy of encountering Jesus or who have lost that joy?"

Through the prophet Haggai, the Lord asks his people to reflect on another thing, said the Pope, and this is charity. "Lack of charity causes unhappiness, because love alone satisfies the human heart," said the Pope. "The solution to problems and self-absorption is always that of gratuitous gift. There is no other. This is something to reflect on."

Rebuilding

“Build my house”, God says through the prophet (Hag 1:8), and the people rebuild the Temple, said the Pope, introducing the second word: rebuilding.

In order to build the European common house, we must "leave behind short-term expedience and return to the farsighted vision of the founding fathers, a prophetic vision of the whole", he said.

We must begin from the foundations, because that is where rebuilding starts: from the Church’s living tradition, which is based on "what is essential, the Good News, closeness and witness. We need to rebuild from her foundations the Church of every time and place, from worship of God and love of neighbour, and not from our own tastes."

"All rebuilding takes place together, in unity, with others," said the Pope. Rebuilding means becoming artisans of communion, weavers of unity at every level.

See

"If we rebuild in this way, we will enable our brothers and sisters to see," said the Pope. This is the third word: See.

"So many people in Europe see the faith as déja vu, a relic of the past," said the Pope. This is because they have not seen Jesus at work in their own lives, he explained. Often this is because we, by our lives, have not sufficiently shown Him to them.

"They will not recognize the One who loves each of His sheep, calls them by name, and bears them on His shoulders. They will not see the One whose incredible passion we preach: for it is a consuming passion, a passion for mankind," said the Pope.

This divine, merciful and overpowering love, concluded the Pope "is itself the perennial newness of the Gospel and it demands of us, dear brothers, wise and bold decisions, made in the name of the mad love with which Christ has saved us."