Reaction to Sexual Health strategy.
Speaking from the Chiapas region of Mexico where he is on a pastoral visit, Cardinal Keith O Brien commented on the Sexual Health Strategy;
" The concerns of the Catholic church are for the health and wellbeing of all Scots. Scotland's dismal sexual health record is a matter of serious concern for us all. It is appropriate that the Scottish Executive should have examined this key policy area in great detail. In common with others, the Catholic Church participated in the consultation process, with well-argued submission and took part in the wider public debate - these contributions attest to the depth of feeling and concern aroused by this issue.
However, the fact remains that this debate was precipitated by a dramatic decline in our country's sexual health - no matter how we measure it, the picture of failure is the same in every area; rates of teenage conceptions, abortion rates and levels of sexually transmitted infections (STI's). We are left facing a single incontrovertible fact; all our current approaches have failed. Accordingly, the status quo cannot be an option.
Cardinal O Brien added;
I am also pleased the Health Minister recognises marriage as ˜a key pillar of our national life and that he endorses the principle of abstinence. We desperately need new thinking, new approaches and a fresh start in this area. Having been a full participant in the debate, the Catholic Church has offered, many proposals and strategies for action and remains ready to collaborate with all relevant agencies in enhancing Scotland s sexual health
Cardinal O Brien concluded;
There remain areas of the strategy which cannot be reconciled with the views of the Catholic Church and which appear to be at odds with wider public opinion. Among them is the continued support for the distribution of the Morning After Pill to schoolchildren without parental consent through pharmacists, General Practitioners and Clinics. I hope such areas of disagreement will be the subject of debate and discussion by the new ˜National Advisory Committee announced today and I underline the willingness of the Church to participate in its work.
Further comment on the strategy came from Michael McGrath, Director of the Scottish Catholic Education Service, he said;
We welcome the affirmation of the current guidance on the conduct of sex education in Scottish schools. This ensures that it will reflect the cultural, ethnic and religious influences within the home, the school and the community. Parents can be assured that programmes of sex education in their Catholic school will continue to offer Christian moral values to young people.
Mr McGrath added;
We remain ready to work in partnership with the Scottish Executive and other agencies, in the development of programmes which promote abstinence and hope to be able to access resources which will allow us to do this.
ENDS
Peter Kearney
Director
Catholic Media Office
5 St. Vincent Place
Glasgow
G1 2DH
0141 221 1168
pk@scmo.org
www.scmo.org
SCMO | 08th March 2024 | Blogging
Ordination of new Bishop of Galloway 8 March 2024 The Episcopal Ordination Mass of Fr Frank Dougan as the ninth Bishop of Galloway will take place on Saturday 9th March at the parish of St Peter in Chains, Ardrossan at 11,00am. Fr. Dougan was appointed on 22 December 2023, by Pope Francis as the new Bishop of the Diocese of Galloway. He succeeds Archbishop William Nolan who was Bishop of Galloway from 2014 to 2022 when he became Archbishop of Glasgow. The bishops ordaining Fr. Frank on 9th March are Archbishop Leo Cushley, Archbishop William Nolan, and Bishop Joseph Toal. Archbishop Miguel Maury Buendía the Apostolic Nuncio will be present both at the ordination and at the Mass of Reception in St Margaret's Cathedral in Ayr on Sunday 10th March at 15.00 when Fr. Frank will take possession of his cathedral. The ordination will be livestreamed on YouTube (@RCGalloway) and Facebook (/GallowayDiocese). The stream will begin at 10.30 am, with the Mass beginning at 11.00 am. To watch the livestream online, click here or use the embedded player. Bishop Dougan will formally be received into St Margaret's Cathedral on Sunday 10th March. The Mass of Reception will be livestreamed on YouTube (@RCGalloway) and Facebook (/GallowayDiocese). The stream will begin at 2.30 pm, with the Mass beginning at 3.00 pm. ENDS Peter Kearney MA (Hons)Director Catholic Media Office0141 221 116807968 122291 pk@scmo.org www.scmo.org Note to Editors: Photographs will be available from Paul McSherry on 07770 393960 ...
SCMO | 02nd February 2024 | Blogging
Pope Francis appoints new Bishop of Dunkeld 2 February 2024 At 12 noon today (2 February 2024) in Rome (11am GMT) it was announced, that Pope Francis had nominated Fr. Martin Chambers as the new Bishop of the Diocese of Dunkeld. He will succeed Bishop Stephen Robson who was Bishop of Dunkeld from 2013 to 2022 when he retired on health grounds, since when it has been administered by Fr. Kevin Golden. Reacting to his appointment, Fr. Martin said;“One of the catchphrases of Pope Francis is that, as Christians, we are called to be ‘Missionary Disciples’. The Pope reminds us that, yes, we are all called to take our part in the mission of spreading the Good News in our families and within our local community. However, the Pope reminds us that, first of all, we must sit as disciples at the feet of Jesus, listening to Him and letting Him guide our steps.” “As I set out on this new Mission as Bishop of Dunkeld, I pledge to sit in prayer as a Disciple at the feet of Jesus, listening to his voice calling me forward in faith. Together, with Christ’s strength and inspiration, we will all be able to continue to build the Kingdom in the Diocese of Dunkeld.” Fr. Martin added; “I am also conscious that many years ago, I was accepted into seminary by Bishop Joseph McGee. He was the Bishop of Galloway who had started off as a priest of Dunkeld Diocese. In a strange way, I am returning a compliment in faith for, having started as a priest of Galloway, I am now becoming Bishop of Dunkeld.” Responding to the news Diocesan Administrator Fr. Kevin Golden said: “The whole community of the Diocese of Dunkeld will rejoice with me today at the appointment of Father Martin Chambers as our new Bishop. We assure him of a warm welcome as he comes among us and offer him our prayers and a steadfast commitment to working with him as he shepherds our Diocese into the future, inspired by the vision of our Holy Father Pope Francis. We renew our appreciation of the sterling work of our Bishop Emeritus, Stephen Robson.” Welcoming the appointment of his successor, Bishop Robson said: “I have known Fr Martin for many years since he was in the Sixth Form of Blairs College in 1981. Since then, I have followed with great admiration his journey in the priesthood thus far. He was educated in the Royal Scots College in Spain, and he has had great experience in Ecuador as a missionary priest. Various appointments as pastor, school chaplain and diocesan responsibilities in Galloway diocese then followed. All this previous experience will stand him in great stead going forward as bishop here in Dunkeld. Personally I am delighted for Martin, and I know that the people, priests and religious of the diocese will welcome him with open arms.” ENDS Peter Kearney MA (Hons)Director Catholic Media Office0141 221 116807968 122291 pk@scmo.org www.scmo.org Notes to Editors: Images of Fr Chambers can be downloaded here: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjBcG9V The date of the Episcopal ordination will be announced in due course. Biography: Fr Martin Chambers Born: 8th June 1964Baptised: St Paul’s, ShettlestonSchools: St Mary’s Primary, Irvine Guardian Angels Primary, Bury St. Vincent’s College, Langbank, St Mary’s College, Blairs Senior Seminary: Royal Scots College, Valladolid (1982-1988) & Salamanca (1988-1989) Ordained Priest for the Diocese of Galloway: 25th August 1989 Priestly Ministry:Assistant Priest St John’s, Stevenston (1989-1993)Parish Priest St Thomas’, Muirkirk (1993-1996) Parish Priest St Bride’s, West Kilbride (1996-1997)Parish Priest St John’s, Stevenston (1997-2004)Served with the Missionary Society of St James in Ecuador (2004-2009) Parish Priest St. Matthew’s, Kilmarnock (2009-2023)Administrator St Sophia’s, Galston & St Paul’s, Hurlford (2013-2015) Parish Priest Our Lady of Mount Carmel (2015-2023)Parish Priest St Sophia’s, Galston (2017-2018...
SCMO | 26th January 2024 | Blogging
58th World Day of Social Communications In his message for the 58th World Day of Social Communications, Pope Francis has urged humanity to cultivate wisdom of the heart in the age of artificial intelligence. AI is “radically affecting the world of information and communication, and through it, certain foundations of life in society,” says the Pope in his Communications Day message, adding that “these changes affect everyone.” Commenting on the dangers of referring to “machine learning” as “intelligence” the Pope explains that it is not enough to be able to store data, like machines do, but that this data must be made sense of, and “human beings alone” are capable of this. The Pope notes that the technology of simulation behind AI algorithms can be useful in certain specific fields. The full text of the Pope’s message is shown below. Communications Sunday will be on 12 May 2024 Peter Kearney MA (Hons)Director Catholic Media Office0141 221 116807968 122291 pk@scmo.org www.scmo.org Artificial Intelligence and the Wisdom of the Heart: Towards a Fully Human Communication Dear brothers and sisters! The development of systems of artificial intelligence, to which I devoted my recent Message for the World Day of Peace, is radically affecting the world of information and communication, and through it, certain foundations of life in society. These changes affect everyone, not merely professionals in those fields. The rapid spread of astonishing innovations, whose workings and potential are beyond the ability of most of us to understand and appreciate, has proven both exciting and disorienting. This leads inevitably to deeper questions about the nature of human beings, our distinctiveness and the future of the specieshomo sapiensin the age of artificial intelligence. How can we remain fully human and guide this cultural transformation to serve a good purpose? Starting with the heart Before all else, we need to set aside catastrophic predictions and their numbing effects. A century ago, Romano Guardini reflected on technology and humanity. Guardini urged us not to reject “the new” in an attempt to “preserve a beautiful world condemned to disappear”. At the same time, he prophetically warned that “we are constantly in the process of becoming. We must enter into this process, each in his or her own way, with openness but also with sensitivity to everything that is destructive and inhumane therein”. And he concluded: “These are technical, scientific and political problems, but they cannot be resolved except by starting from our humanity. A new kind of human being must take shape, endowed with a deeper spirituality and new freedom and interiority”.[1] At this time in history, which risks becoming rich in technology and poor in humanity, our reflections must begin with the human heart.[2]Only by adopting a spiritual way of viewing reality, only by recovering a wisdom of the heart, can we confront and interpret the newness of our time and rediscover the path to a fully human communication. In the Bible, the heart is seen as the place of freedom and decision-making. It symbolizes integrity and unity, but it also engages our emotions, desires, dreams; it is, above all, the inward place of our encounter with God. Wisdom of the heart, then, is the virtue that enables us to integrate the whole and its parts, our decisions and their consequences, our nobility and our vulnerability, our past and our future, our individuality and our membership within a larger community. This wisdom of the heart lets itself be found by those who seek it and be seen by those who love it; it anticipates those who desire it and it goes in search of those who are worthy of it (cf.Wis6:12-16). It accompanies those willing to take advice (cf.Prov13:10), those endowed with a docile and listening heart (cf.1 Kg3:9). A gift of the Holy Spirit, it enables us to look at things with God’s eyes, to see connec...
SCMO | 26th January 2024 | Blogging
Scotland’s Bishops welcome release of Nicaraguan clergy Friday 26 January 2024 The Bishops’ Conference of Scotland has issued a statement, following the release of Bishop Rolando Alvares and 19 others by the Government of Nicaragua. “Following the condemnation of Scotland’s Bishops in February 2023 of the unjust sentencing of Bishop Rolando Alvares to 26 years imprisonment in Nicaragua together with other clergy, we welcome the news that Bishop Alvares, together with 2 other bishops, 15 priests and 2 seminarians have been released. Although the clergy concerned have been released, it is a matter of great sadness that they have been exiled from Nicaragua by the regime of President Daniel Ortega. We welcome the diplomatic efforts of the Holy See, which has allowed them to travel to the Vatican. Scotland’s Bishops join with Pope Francis in praying that “that the path of dialogue will always be sought to overcome difficulties” and that the persecution of the Catholic Church in Nicaragua will end.” Peter Kearney MA (Hons)Director Catholic Media Office0141 221 116807968 122291 pk@scmo.org www.scmo.org ...