Edinburgh Seven Hills Pilgrimage

Join us this Lent for the Edinburgh Seven Hills Pilgrimage on Saturday 5 April.
Taking in the summits of Arthur's Seat, Blackford Hill, the Braids, Easter Craiglockhart Hill, Corstorphine Hill, Castle Rock and Calton Hill, the whole route is around 27km starting and finishing at St Mary’s Catholic Cathedral.
Whether you want to join us for the whole event or meet the group along the way, this is a perfect opportunity to offer Lenten penance, pray for the city of Edinburgh and conclude with worship together at the 6:00pm Vigil Mass and prayers at the Jubilee Cross at the Cathedral.
More details to be confirmed soon, but register your interest now at bit.ly/sevenhillsapril
Event organised by St Mary's Cathedral, Edinburgh.

Praying for those who have suffered abuse

The annual Day of Prayer for those who have suffered abuse is observed in Scotland today (Friday 7 March).

The day offers Catholic communities and parishes the chance to pray for the healing of all those who have suffered abuse in the Church and elsewhere.

Resources are available here so that parishes can support the provision of specific prayers and liturgies in churches and faith communities across Scotland.

The Scottish Catholic Safeguarding Standards Agency said: "We are grateful for the valuable contributions of some survivors of abuse towards the development of this resource."

GALLERY: Our Summer Pilgrimage in Carfin

Thanks to everyone who came to the Rosary Procession and Mass at Carfin Grotto for the annual Archdiocesan summer pilgrimage yesterday (Sunday 18 August).

In his homily at Mass, Archbishop Leo Cushley said: "We draw life from Jesus Christ here in the Eucharist which nourishes our lives."

Highlighting the second reading from Mass (Ephesians 5:15-20) he said: "St Paul says that this may be a wicked age but your lives should redeem it.

"It's a lovely thought: you have the opportunity to redeem what you see around you by living your lives faithfully as disciples of Jesus of Nazareth. You can make a difference.

"We gather here to remember friends and family who have passed to God, to pray for those who need healing and want to be closer to the Lord, and also to pray for ourselves as well so that we too can be the people who draw life from the Lord and help redeem our age by our own lives."

Parishioners from St Agatha's in Methil, Fife.
Holy Mass.
Youth for Lourdes.
Archbishop Cushley and fellow clergy after Mass on the steps of St Francis Xavier's Church.
A group from Edinburgh, many of whom are parishioners of St Joseph's in Sighthill.
All smiles at the Grotto!
The Rosary Procession.

Scottish Parliament votes to criminalise peaceful prayer vigils

MSPs have voted to criminalise pro-life vigils around hospitals and clinics where abortions are performed.

Despite repeated warnings from the Catholic Parliamentary Office and other pro-life organisations about the negative impact on fundamental rights, including the freedom to pray, 118 MSPs voted in favour of the Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) (Scotland) Bill, with just one MSP, John Mason, voting against.

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Scotland has repeatedly condemned all harassment and intimidation of people, including those attending hospitals and other medical facilities.

 


The Conference has also pointed out that laws are already in place to protect people from such unacceptable behaviour.

It is significant that, in written evidence to the Parliament’s Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, Police Scotland stated that “existing powers and offences (whether statutory or common law) are sufficient to address any unlawful behaviour in the vicinity of health care premises.”

Some MSPs did raise concerns about the threat to silent prayer and a few suggested helpful amendments to the Bill, including a reasonableness defence and a specific exemption for chaplains who may be caught by the law and criminalised for having conversations about abortion.

However, these were either withdrawn or voted down by the Parliament.

Chilling

Despite Police Scotland raising significant concerns about policing silent prayer the Parliament has pressed ahead with this chilling law.

When asked about the possibility of having to police people’s thoughts, including whether they were silently praying, Superintendent Gerry Corrigan told the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee that policing thought is an area “we would stay clear of”, later adding “I do not think we could go down the road of asking people what they are thinking or what their thoughts are. That feels really uncomfortable.”

People have already been arrested for praying silently in England and, with the passing of this Bill, this may now happen in Scotland.

Furthermore, the Bill gives the government extensive powers to extend restrictions to other buildings or places where “treatments or services relating to abortion services are provided” as protected premises.

This may in time include GP surgeries, sexual health clinics and pharmacies, resulting in potentially hundreds of zones being set up around the country.

It is troubling that the law could also apply to the actions of a person inside their own home and apply to other buildings including churches and schools within the designated zone. For example, placing a pro-life poster in the window of a private home could be considered criminal behaviour.

Below is a list of how MSPs voted on the Bill. Please note that some MSPs were not present for the vote.

Against the Bill;

Mason, John (Glasgow Shettleston) (SNP)

For the Bill

Adam, George (Paisley) (SNP)

Adam, Karen (Banffshire and Buchan Coast) (SNP)

Adamson, Clare (Motherwell and Wishaw) (SNP)

Allan, Alasdair (Na h-Eileanan an Iar) (SNP)

Arthur, Tom (Renfrewshire South) (SNP)

Baillie, Jackie (Dumbarton) (Lab)

Baker, Claire (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab)

Beattie, Colin (Midlothian North and Musselburgh) (SNP)

Bibby, Neil (West Scotland) (Lab)

Boyack, Sarah (Lothian) (Lab)

Briggs, Miles (Lothian) (Con)

Brown, Keith (Clackmannanshire and Dunblane) (SNP)

Brown, Siobhian (Ayr) (SNP)

Burgess, Ariane (Highlands and Islands) (Green)

Burnett, Alexander (Aberdeenshire West) (Con)

Carlaw, Jackson (Eastwood) (Con)

Carson, Finlay (Galloway and West Dumfries) (Con)

Chapman, Maggie (North East Scotland) (Green)

Choudhury, Foysol (Lothian) (Lab)

Clark, Katy (West Scotland) (Lab)

Coffey, Willie (Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley) (SNP)

Cole-Hamilton, Alex (Edinburgh Western) (LD)

Constance, Angela (Almond Valley) (SNP)

Dey, Graeme (Angus South) (SNP)

Don, Natalie (Renfrewshire North and West) (SNP)

Doris, Bob (Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn) (SNP)

Dornan, James (Glasgow Cathcart) (SNP)

Dowey, Sharon (South Scotland) (Con)

Dunbar, Jackie (Aberdeen Donside) (SNP)

Duncan-Glancy, Pam (Glasgow) (Lab)

Eagle, Tim (Highlands and Islands) (Con)

Ewing, Annabelle (Cowdenbeath) (SNP)

Ewing, Fergus (Inverness and Nairn) (SNP)

Fairlie, Jim (Perthshire South and Kinross-shire) (SNP)

Findlay, Russell (West Scotland) (Con)

FitzPatrick, Joe (Dundee City West) (SNP)

Forbes, Kate (Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch) (SNP)

Gallacher, Meghan (Central Scotland) (Con)

Gibson, Kenneth (Cunninghame North) (SNP)

Gilruth, Jenny (Mid Fife and Glenrothes) (SNP)

Golden, Maurice (North East Scotland) (Con)

Gosal, Pam (West Scotland) (Con)

Grahame, Christine (Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale) (SNP)

Grant, Rhoda (Highlands and Islands) (Lab)

Gray, Neil (Airdrie and Shotts) (SNP)

Greene, Jamie (West Scotland) (Con)

Greer, Ross (West Scotland) (Green)

Griffin, Mark (Central Scotland) (Lab)

Gulhane, Sandesh (Glasgow) (Con)

Hamilton, Rachael (Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (Con)

Harper, Emma (South Scotland) (SNP)

Harvie, Patrick (Glasgow) (Green)

Haughey, Clare (Rutherglen) (SNP)

Hepburn, Jamie (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (SNP)

Hoy, Craig (South Scotland) (Con)

Hyslop, Fiona (Linlithgow) (SNP)

Johnson, Daniel (Edinburgh Southern) (Lab)

Halcro Johnston, Jamie (Highlands and Islands) (Con)

Kerr, Liam (North East Scotland) (Con)

Kidd, Bill (Glasgow Anniesland) (SNP)

Lennon, Monica (Central Scotland) (Lab)

Leonard, Richard (Central Scotland) (Lab)

MacDonald, Gordon (Edinburgh Pentlands) (SNP)

MacGregor, Fulton (Coatbridge and Chryston) (SNP)

Mackay, Gillian (Central Scotland) (Green)

Mackay, Rona (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (SNP)

Macpherson, Ben (Edinburgh Northern and Leith) (SNP)

Maguire, Ruth (Cunninghame South) (SNP)

Marra, Michael (North East Scotland) (Lab)

Martin, Gillian (Aberdeenshire East) (SNP)

McAllan, Màiri (Clydesdale) (SNP)

McArthur, Liam (Orkney Islands) (LD)

McCall, Roz (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con)

McKee, Ivan (Glasgow Provan) (SNP)

McKelvie, Christina (Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse) (SNP)

McLennan, Paul (East Lothian) (SNP)

McMillan, Stuart (Greenock and Inverclyde) (SNP)

McNair, Marie (Clydebank and Milngavie) (SNP)

McNeill, Pauline (Glasgow) (Lab)

Minto, Jenni (Argyll and Bute) (SNP)

Mochan, Carol (South Scotland) (Lab)

Mountain, Edward (Highlands and Islands) (Con)

Mundell, Oliver (Dumfriesshire) (Con)

Nicoll, Audrey (Aberdeen South and North Kincardine) (SNP)

O’Kane, Paul (West Scotland) (Lab)

Regan, Ash (Edinburgh Eastern) (Alba)

Rennie, Willie (North East Fife) (LD)

Robertson, Angus (Edinburgh Central) (SNP)

Robison, Shona (Dundee City East) (SNP)

Roddick, Emma (Highlands and Islands) (SNP)

Ross, Douglas (Highlands and Islands) (Con)

Rowley, Alex (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab)

Ruskell, Mark (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green)

Sarwar, Anas (Glasgow) (Lab)

Simpson, Graham (Central Scotland) (Con)

Slater, Lorna (Lothian) (Green)

Smith, Liz (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con)

Smyth, Colin (South Scotland) (Lab)

Somerville, Shirley-Anne (Dunfermline) (SNP)

Stevenson, Collette (East Kilbride) (SNP)

Stewart, Alexander (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con)

Stewart, Kaukab (Glasgow Kelvin) (SNP)

Stewart, Kevin (Aberdeen Central) (SNP)

Sturgeon, Nicola (Glasgow Southside) (SNP)

Sweeney, Paul (Glasgow) (Lab)

Swinney, John (Perthshire North) (SNP)

Thomson, Michelle (Falkirk East) (SNP)

Todd, Maree (Caithness, Sutherland and Ross) (SNP)

Torrance, David (Kirkcaldy) (SNP)

Tweed, Evelyn (Stirling) (SNP)

Villalba, Mercedes (North East Scotland) (Lab) [Proxy vote cast by Richard Leonard]

Wells, Annie (Glasgow) (Con)

White, Tess (North East Scotland) (Con)

Whitfield, Martin (South Scotland) (Lab)

Whitham, Elena (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (SNP)

Whittle, Brian (South Scotland) (Con)

Wishart, Beatrice (Shetland Islands) (LD)

Yousaf, Humza (Glasgow Pollok) (SNP)

This article is from the Scottish Catholic Parliamentary Office.

Laudato Si' Week: 19-26 May

Laudato Si' week runs from the 19- 26 May with the theme Seeds of Hope.

It began as a way to celebrate the first anniversary of Pope Francis’ papal encyclical letter, Laudato Si’: On Care For Our Common Home.

Since then, the annual celebration has become a way for all Catholics to unite and rejoice in the progress made in bringing Laudato Si’ to life and to commit ourselves to further prayer and action for our common home.

This Laudato Si’ Week website states: "Let us be seeds of hope in our lives and our world, rooted in faith and love."

Laudate Deum, the 2023 apostolic exhortation by Pope Francis, is a reminder about the urgency of the Laudato Si’ message.

A webinar titled 'Imagining a Christian Response to the Climate Crisis', organised by Laudato Si´Animators Scotland, takes place at 7.00-8.30pm on Thursday 23 May. Register here.

Find out more and download the celebration guide at laudatosiweek.org. 

World Day of Prayer

World Day of Prayer (Friday 1 March) is a global ecumenical movement led by Christian women who welcome you to join in prayer and action for peace and justice.

An ecumenical prayer service takes place at St Mary's Episcopal Cathedral in Palmerston Place, Edinburgh, at 11:30am. The service will be livestreamed here.

This year the prayer service has been written by the Christian women of Palestine on the theme ‘I beg you to bear with one another in love’.

They ask everyone to bear with them in love and to pray for an end to all human suffering and to stand with them to achieve security and peace for all people around the world.

There are World Day of Prayer services taking place in churches of all denominations across the Archdiocese. Find out more here. For resources and more visit worlddayofprayer.net

The Year of Prayer 2024 and The Jubilee Year 2025

On Sunday, Pope Francis inaugurated a Year of Prayer ahead of the 2025 Jubilee.

He called on the faithful “to pray more fervently to prepare ourselves to live properly this grace-filled event".

The Holy Father said that The Year of Prayer 2024 is dedicated “to rediscovering the great value and absolute need for prayer, prayer in personal life, in the life of the Church, prayer in the world”.

The Dicastery for Evangelization will release materials to help the faithful celebrate the Year.

Follow the Holy Year Scotland 2025 page on Facebook to find out about national events in Scotland.

Find out more about the Jubilee Year 2025 at the official website: www.iubilaeum2025.va

What is a Jubilee?

A Jubilee is a special year of grace, in which the Catholic Church offers the faithful the possibility of asking for a plenary indulgence – a remission of sins for themselves or deceased loved ones.

It takes place every 25 years and is a tradition that is recognised as being a significant part of the history of our faith.

The Jubilee year begins with the well-known custom of the opening of the Holy Door at St Peter’s Basilica, following the other three papal basilicas in Rome.

The Pope grants permission for Holy Doors to be situated throughout the world for Catholics everywhere to take part in this most special rite.

Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2024

The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity begins on Thursday (18 January).

This year's theme is ‘You shall love the Lord your God… and your neighbour as yourself’ (Lk 10:27).

The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is traditionally observed from 18 to 25 January – the octave of St. Peter and St. Paul.

In choosing this passage of Scripture for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, the churches of Burkina Faso invite us to join with them in a process of self-reflection as they consider what it means to love our neighbour, particularly for those who live amidst security crises.

On the eve of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, Pope Francis posted on Twitter: "The Word of God invites us not to close ourselves off or think that we can do it alone, but to grow together. Let us listen to each other, talk together, and support one another. #ChristianUnity

Archbishop Cushley has encouraged Catholic Parishes to host prayer events with nearby churches of other Christian denominations.

St Joseph's in Broomhouse host a prayer service on Thursday, along with St David’s (Church of Scotland) and St Salvador’s (Episcopal Church).

Title image: The Good Samaritan, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. Resources are available here. Read more about the week on Vatican News 

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.

Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity takes place from from Wednesday 18 to Wednesday 25 January.

It is organised by Churches Together in Britain and Ireland (CTBI) and this year’s theme is praying for unity amidst injustice.

Dr Nicola Brady, General Secretary of CTBI said: "For this Week of Prayer for Christian Unity we are guided by the churches of Minneapolis as we seek to explore how the work of Christian unity can contribute to the promotion of racial justice across all levels of society.

"Through this resource, the CTBI writers’ group has also focused our attention on the 30th anniversary ofthe murder of Stephen Lawrence, which we mark this year.

"The work of restoring hope through justice undertaken in Stephen’s memory continues to inspire and change lives for the better.

"As we join with other Christians around the world for this year’s Week of Prayer we pray that our hearts will be open to see and hear the many ways in which racism
continues to destroy lives, and to discern the steps we can take as individuals and communities to heal the hurts and build a better future for everyone."

Prayer

God of justice, Empower us to be agents of your grace and mercy Bless us with the courage to relinquish our power. Bless us with the humility to stand with the oppressed. Bless us with the integrity to love our neighbours as we ourselves would seek to be loved.

The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity ,18-25 January. Resources and info at www.ctbi.org.uk/weekofprayer