By SCMO in News Releases, Blogging | 02nd October 2021
Catholic Church in Scotland establishes new independent Safeguarding agency
Saturday 2 October 2021
The Catholic Church in Scotland has announced the creation of a new independent Safeguarding agency. Speaking at the end of a national Safeguarding webinar which attracted 450 participants from across Scotland, Bishop Hugh Gilbert, President of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland, announced the establishment of a new body – the Scottish Catholic Safeguarding Standards Agency (SCSSA) as an independent private company.
Speaking to the webinar participants, Bishop Hugh Gilbert said: “The SCSSA will operate entirely independently of the Church and 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.”
Bishop Hugh 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. It will take some time to establish the new agency and we ask for your patience and support while that process is underway.”
Bishop Hugh concluded: “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.”
ENDS
Peter Kearney
Director
Catholic Media Office
Tel: 0141 221 1168
Mob: 07968 122291
ISDN: 0141 204 4956
pk@scmo.org
www.scmo.org
@SCMO14
...
By SCMO in News Releases, Blogging | 22nd September 2021
Catholic Church campaigns against Assisted Suicide Proposal
The Catholic Church in Scotland has restated its opposition to a new attempt to legalise assisted suicide. While the church together with a wide range of other organisations supports the Care Not Killing (CNK) group it has separately criticised the prospect of another consultation on the subject.
Director of the Catholic Parliamentary Office, Anthony Horan said;
“This is the third time in little over a decade that the Scottish Parliament has been asked to legalise assisted suicide. Despite the underlying arguments not having changed we are once again being confronted with the frightening proposal that doctors be legally permitted to help patients kill themselves by providing them with a lethal cocktail of drugs.”
“Over the last eighteen months society has been reoriented to protect the most ill and vulnerable in response to the pandemic. Legalising assisted suicide moves in the opposite direction: putting immeasurable pressure on vulnerable people including those with disabilities to end their lives prematurely, for fear of being a financial, emotional or care burden on others.”
Mr Horan restated the Catholic church position that “Once passed, incremental extensions and the removal of protections and safeguards are inevitable and have happened everywhere legislation has been passed.”
He called on MSP’s to “prevent suicide, not assist it” and urged Catholics to “engage with elected representatives to warn them of the serious dangers of assisted suicide and the deadly and irreparable consequences of its legalisation.”
ENDS
Peter Kearney
Director
Catholic Media Office
Tel: 0141 221 1168
Mob: 07968 122291
ISDN: 0141 204 4956
pk@scmo.org
www.scmo.org
Note to Editors:
A briefing on Assisted Suicide - https://rcpolitics.org/assisted-suicide/
Is being circulated to Scotland’s 500 Catholic parishes, urging pa...
By SCMO in News Releases, Blogging | 20th September 2021
POPE ‘SUPPORTIVE’ OF PLANS TO RELOCATE SCOTS COLLEGE
20 September 2021
Plans to relocate the Pontifical Scots College in Rome have been backed by Pope Francis.
Archbishop Leo Cushley met with the Holy Father at the Vatican on Saturday (18 September) to discuss the proposed move.
Speaking after the meeting, Archbishop Cushley said: “Pope Francis expressed his full support for the intentions of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland to move the college into Rome city centre.
“I was delighted to hear that and I know my fellow bishops will be too.”
The decision to relocate seminary, where young men in Scotland train for the priesthood, was announced in December after building upgrades were deemed too costly. The college is on Via Cassia, around 10km from the city centre. The Bishops’ aim to sell the building and believe a more central location is the best option for the formation needs of the community and for future provision.
Archbishop Cushley added: “Saying goodbye, the Pope asked for our prayers for him, which I was happy to promise him on behalf of Scotland’s Catholics.
ENDS
Peter Kearney
Director
Catholic Media Office
5 St. Vincent Place
Glasgow
G1 2DH
Tel: 0141 221 1168
Mob: 07968 122291
ISDN: 0141 204 4956
pk@scmo.org
www.scmo.org
Note to Editors:
Archbishop Cushley is in Rome this week for the 50th anniversary of the council of European Bishops’ Conferences at the Plenary Assembly in the presence of Pope Francis.
Change email address / Leave mailing list Powered by YMLP
...
By SCMO in News Releases, Blogging | 07th September 2021
Catholic Bishops and organisations call for an end to the arms trade
7 September 2021
Catholic Bishops and organisations have voiced their opposition to the arms trade, as the UK prepares to host one of the world’s largest arms fairs next week.
The DSEI arms fair takes place in London 14-17 September, bringing together governments and military delegations from across the world with more than 1,500 companies selling guns, bombs, and other weaponry.
A statement signed by Catholic Bishops from across the UK, took up the call of Pope Francis to end the arms trade. Commenting on behalf of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland, Bishop William Nolan, Bishop of Galloway said;
“Tragically, conflicts fueled by the trade harm the world’s poorest communities, they force people to flee their homes as refugees, and they have devastating consequences for our environment. We urge governments across the world, including our own, to commit themselves to ending the global arms trade and instead pursue the path of peace and reconciliation.”
ENDS
Peter Kearney Director Catholic Media Office 0141 221 116807968 122291 pk@scmo.org www.scmo.org
Note to Editors:
The full statement is shown below;
Full statement:
As the UK again prepares to host one of the world’s largest arms fairs, we recall the message of Pope Francis: “Why are deadly weapons being sold to those who plan to inflict untold suffering on individuals and society? Sadly, the answer, as we all know, is simply for money: money that is drenched in blood, often innocent blood. In the face of this shameful and culpable silence, it is our duty to confront the problem and to stop the arms trade.”
We recognise the right of every country to defend itself against attack, but we must never ignore, or allow ourselves to become complicit in, the destruction of human life and violations of human dignity ma...
