Archbishop Mario honoured by his beloved Tuscany

Press release

Archbishop Conti has been awarded one of the most prestigious prizes of his family’s native Italian region of Tuscany. He has been given the Gold Medal of the “Lucchesi nel Mondo” and was due to be presented with the award at a special ceremony in Lucca later this month. However the ongoing pandemic has meant the scaling back of the …

Bishops are united against nuclear weapons

Justice and Peace, Mission work, Press release

During his historic visit to Japan last year, Pope Francis declared that “the use of atomic energy for purposes of war is immoral, just as the possession of atomic weapons is immoral”. Seventy-five years on from the unprecedented and horrific destruction of life at Hiroshima and Nagasaki, we are called to reflect prayerfully upon the UK’s own possession of nuclear …

New Hate Crime – “protect the freedom to disagree” – Bishops say

Press release

The Bishops’ Conference of Scotland has responded to the Scottish Government’s new Hate Crime and Public Order Bill. In a submission to the Scottish Parliament Justice Committee the Conference has stated that any new law must be ‘carefully weighed against fundamental freedoms, such as the right to free speech, freedom of expression, and freedom of thought, conscience and religion.’ The …

New lectionary for Scotland

Press release

Scotland’s Catholic Bishops have approved the preparation of a new Lectionary (a book of readings used at Mass) to update and replace the three volume Lectionary in use in the dioceses of England and Wales, Scotland and Ireland for almost 30 years. The current Lectionary was first published in 1981 using the Jerusalem Bible (1966) as its base text. Commenting …

Dundee parishioner joins Stella Maris as global charity adapts ministry in changing world

Press release

Stella Maris (Apostleship of the Sea) welcomed St Andrew’s Cathedral parishioner Maita Crowe as a new Board member at the Catholic charity’s recent virtual annual general meeting. Maita joined Glasgow-based James Muir as new additions to the Board and their appointments are a boost to the charity as it adapts its ministry supporting seafarers and fishers during the Covid-19 pandemic. …

Catholic Bishops announce resumption of communal worship

Press release

Scotland’s Catholic Bishops have welcomed the First Minister’s comments today (Thursday 9 July) on places of worship and have announced the resumption of communal worship in Catholic parishes from 15 July. Commenting on the move, the President of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland, Bishop Hugh Gilbert said; “Over the past month, our parishes have been preparing for the safe resumption …

Great Britain’s new Papal Nuncio is appointed

Press release

Pope Francis has named Archbishop Claudio Gugerotti as Apostolic Nuncio in Great Britain.  The Apostolic Nunciature to Great Britain is the diplomatic office of the Holy See in Great Britain.  It is headed by the Apostolic Nuncio who has the rank of an ambassador.   Archbishop Gugerotti was born in Verona in Italy, on 7th October 1955 and consecrated a priest of the …

Perplexing decision

Press release

The Bishops’ Conference of Scotland has released the following statement on the Scottish Government’s decision not to allow places of worship to open for communal worship until 23 July at the earliest: “The Scottish Government’s decision not to allow places of worship to open for communal worship until 23 July at the earliest, while allowing pubs, restaurants and cinemas to …