Parliament News Bulletin

      Catholic Parliamentary Office   
E-Newsletter October 2020

Bishop Stephen highlighted the work being carried out by the Catholic Parliamentary Office and commended its diligence in the face of fast moving changes that are taking place – particularly during these days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Catholic Parliamentary Office is an agency of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland and its role is to consult and advise the Parliament on matters relating to the work of both Government and Parliament in accordance with the principles of Catholic Social Teaching.

Bishop Stephen said, “The great work of Antony Horan, Director of the Catholic Parliamentary Office since 2016, and the whole team, takes Catholic Social Teaching into the public square, engaging with the work of Parliament and Government to ensure that the Church’s voice is heard on relevant issues.”

“Its role is to encourage a greater understanding of Catholic Social Teaching and to see the Catholic community of our country engaging in political issues so that we are working together for the dignity of all human life and the common good of society.”

PLEASE SIGN UP TO CARE NOT KILLING TODAY! Another campaign to legalise assisted suicide in Scotland is coming. Please sign up to the Care Not Killing mailing list to receive important updates and support the campaign to resist assisted suicide. We should be preventing suicide, not assisting it. You can sign up here.      

CATHOLIC HEALTH WORKER? Why not consider joining the Scottish Catholic Medical Association? Read more….       

POLITICS HUB Check out our Politics Hub page to find out what’s happening in the UK and Scottish Parliaments and to get involved in consultations. 

WORK FOR MSPs and MPs MSPs and MPs regularly advertise jobs. Click the link, click here…

Scotland’s Catholic Bishops say high standards of infection control mean public worship and parish life can carry on – In a letter sent to Scotland’s 500 Catholic parishes, the Bishops of Scotland have urged the Catholic community to maintain their “meticulous” infection control and safety measures. Read more…   

Pre-natal test will lead to more Down’s syndrome abortions, Scottish Government warned CPO supports calls by Don’t Screen Us Out for urgen inquiry into the impact of the NIPT test and for antenatal care reforms. Read more…     

Displaced persons: ‘it is not about statistics’ says Pope Francis Pope Francis urges people to engage in the drama of internally displaced persons and to see the face of Christ in the hungry, the thirsty, the naked, the sick and strangers and prisoners. Read more…     

Edinburgh and Stirling universities marked down by pro-life groups – Edinburgh and Stirling universities have been criticised for censoring pro-life views in a report compiled by the Society for the Protection of the Unborn Child and the Alliance of Pro-Life Students. Read more…       

Other News Motion in Scottish Parliament “congratulates Father Eamon Sweeney, Sister Moira Duffy and Father Colin Hughes on decades of service to the Coatbridge community in St Patrick’s, Holy Trinity and All Saints, and St Stephen’s Roman Catholic Churches.” https://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx?SearchType=Advance&ReferenceNumbers=S5M-22616 

Encyclical Letter Fratelli Tutti on the Fraternity and Social Friendship http://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/encyclicals/documents/papa-francesco_20201003_enciclica-fratelli-tutti.html Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith Letter on the care of persons in the critical and terminal phases of life (Samaritanus bonushttp://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2020/09/22/0476/01077.html#eng         

Consultations Have your Say! Equally Safe: a consultation on challenging men’s demand for prostitution, working to reduce the harms associated with prostitution and helping women to exit (Closes 10 December 2020) https://consult.gov.scot/violence-against-women-team/equally-safe-reduce-harms-associated-prostitution/ Future arrangements for early medical abortions at home (Closes 5 January 2021)https://consult.gov.scot/population-health/early-medical-abortion-at-home

 Catholic Parliamentary Office, 5 South Gray’s Close, 40 High Street, Edinburgh EH1 1TQTel: 0131 556 6771Email: office@rcpolitics.org The Catholic Parliamentary Office is an agency of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland (also known as the Catholic National Endowment Trust – Charity No SCO16650)

https://rcpolitics.org