‘Joined in the prayer of the Holy Rosary, as we ask for the intercession of our Mother Mary, we wish to tell the world that it is possible to build peace ... a new peace’

Make the X count

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

As the 2026 Scottish Parliament Election approaches, we find ourselves at another important moment in our nation’s life. Elections are not only political events but opportunities to reflect prayerfully on our responsibilities as citizens and disciples of Jesus Christ.

Our participation in public life expresses our love of neighbour and our desire to build a society that honours God through truth, justice, and charity.

The Church and the political community have distinct roles, yet both serve the good of every person. The Church forms consciences through the light of the Gospel, while politics shapes society’s structures. When these work together respectfully, society flourishes, especially in its care for the weakest.

It is therefore vital that Catholics approach this election with faith‑formed minds and hearts moved by charity.

Many in Scotland today face deep vulnerability: unborn children; the elderly; families in poverty; the disabled; those with poor mental health; people suffering addiction; victims of modern slavery; migrants seeking safety; people considering suicide; and victims of crime. They deserve not only compassion but public policies that protect their dignity.

We need representatives who act with integrity, value every human life, and prioritise the poorest. Public service is noble when rooted in humility and the common good.

Our elected officials must also defend fundamental freedoms—thought, conscience, and religion—so Scotland remains a place where people can express beliefs openly and respectfully. Public discourse thrives when diverse voices can speak without fear and disagreements are handled with civility. Silencing religious expression deprives society of moral and spiritual richness.

We affirm the rights of parents, who have the God‑given responsibility to educate their children, including choosing schools that reflect their convictions.

Authorities must safeguard this right and protect Catholic schools, which serve families of all backgrounds and help form young people in faith, virtue, and service. Attempts to marginalise, or remove, these schools would weaken Scotland’s educational diversity.

As you prepare to vote, reflect on the principles of Catholic Social Teaching—human dignity, the common good, solidarity, and subsidiarity—which illuminate the key moral issues of our time: the protection of life from conception to natural death; care for the poor and vulnerable; fair and sustainable economic conditions; accessible healthcare; the elimination of modern slavery; the strengthening of marriage and family life; care for creation; the promotion of peace and support for poorer nations; and the defence of religious freedom and conscience.

These are not merely political issues, but moral ones rooted in the Gospel and the Church’s commitment to every person’s dignity. Study and pray with these principles as you discern your vote.

Resources from the Scottish Catholic Parliamentary Office (rcpolitics.org) can help form your conscience, enabling you to seek truth, weigh moral implications, and consider the impact on the vulnerable. Above all, we urge you to use your right to vote.

We pray for respectful and honest conversation throughout this election. Political life must not be poisoned by anger, division, or populist rhetoric. May all debates reflect concern for human dignity and the common good.

We entrust Scotland—its people, leaders, and future—to the care of Our Lady, Queen of Peace. May her intercession guide us toward justice, compassion, and unity. May the Holy Spirit inspire candidates with integrity and humility, and voters with responsibility, prayerfulness, and love of neighbour.

Yours devotedly in Christ,

+ John Keenan, President, Bishop of Paisley

+ Brian McGee, Vice President, Bishop of Argyll and the Isles

+ Andrew McKenzie, Episcopal Secretary, Bishop of Dunkeld

+ Leo Cushley, Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh

+ William Nolan, Archbishop of Glasgow

+ Joseph Toal, Bishop of Motherwell

+ Hugh Gilbert, Bishop of Aberdeen

+ Francis Dougan, Bishop of Galloway

Pray to Our Lady for peace, says Pope

By Ronnie Convery

Pope Leo has urged Catholics across the globe to pray to Our Lady for peace during the upcoming Marian month of May.

And he has shown the way by holding two special Rosary vigils reminding people of the power and the beauty of the Rosary as a means of prayer.

At a solemn vigil in St Peter’s Basilica he said: “My dearest friends, all it takes is a little faith, a mere “crumb” of faith, in order to face this dramatic hour in history together — as humanity and alongside humanity…

“Let us rise from the rubble! Nothing can confine us to a predetermined fate, not even in this world where there never seem to be enough graves, for people continue to crucify one another and eliminate life, with no regard to justice and mercy.”

And during his African trip he made a point of stopping off at the main Marian shrine in Angola – Mama Muxima – to lead another public rosary for peace.

There he said: “The holy Rosary is an ancient and simple devotion that originated in the Church as a form of prayer for everyone. Saint John Paul II described it as the prayer of a Christianity that has preserved the ‘freshness of its beginnings’.

Pope Leo went on: “Praying the Rosary, then, commits us to loving every person with a mother’s heart — concretely and generously — and to dedicating ourselves to the good of one another, especially the poorest.

“A mother loves all her children in the same way and with her whole heart, even though each one is different. In the presence of the Mother of the Heart, we too want to promise to do likewise. We strive without measure so that no one may lack love.

“We also seek to provide the necessities for living with dignity and happiness: that the hungry may have enough to eat, that the sick may receive the necessary care, that children may be guaranteed a proper education, and that the elderly may live their later years in peace.

“A mother thinks of all these things. Indeed, Mary thinks of all these things, and she also invites us to share in her maternal concern.”

New start for merged parishes

By Ronnie Convery

Last month saw a series of changes come into effect designed to equip the Archdiocese better for the future given the declining number of priests and historic shifts in population.

The Parish of St Patrick’s in Anderston has been merged with the Cathedral Parish and St Peter’s Partick. People living west of Finnieston Street are now considered to be part of St Peter’s and those east of it (including St Patrick’s church and school) are now part of the Cathedral parish.

The church building of St Patrick’s remains open and services continue as normal there provided by the resident priest, Canon Paul Gargaro.

In Helensburgh the parishes of St Joseph and St Gildas were merged. While both buildings remain open the new community will be formally known as St Joseph’s Parish.

In Kirkintilloch the parishes of St John of the Cross, Twechar, St Flannan’s, and Holy Family and St Ninian’s were merged to form Holy Family Parish with Canon Gerry Tartaglia as Parish Priest.

In Clydebank the parishes of St Margaret’s and OHR are merged to become the Parish of Our Holy Redeemer and St Margaret with Fr Liam McMahon as Parish Priest.

Elsewhere in the Archdiocese parish communities in the north east of the city are adapting to change too after the return to Nigeria of Fr Francis Okereke.

Pastoral care of the parish of St Jude and St John Ogilvie is being supplied by Fr Frank Balmer and Fr Innocent Simon, while Fr John Gannon of St Philomena’s is providing pastoral care of the parish of St Maria Goretti’s.