Scotland’s bishops celebrate mass in Holyrood

Scotland’s bishops led a historic Mass in the Scottish Parliament on Wednesday, marking only the second time such a celebration has taken place within the parliamentary building – the first instance was in March 2018.

Archbishop Leo Cushley was the principal celebrant for the Mass, which honoured the feast of Saints John Fisher and Thomas More, the patron saints of politicians.

He was joined by Bishop John Keenan, Bishop Brian McGee, Bishop Joseph Toal, and Bishop Frank Dougan. Presiding Officer Alison Johnstone delivered the first reading, while Mark Griffin MSP read the intercessory prayers.

In his homily, Archbishop Cushley compared early democracy in Athens to modern political discourse, describing the former as “messy, noisy” where “winning was all that mattered.” He urged Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) to reflect on the example of Socrates, who challenged the status quo by advocating for truth and objective reality.

The Archbishop emphasised the importance of personal introspection for good governance and assured MSPs of the bishops’ and the Catholic community’s prayers as they shoulder the “heavy burden of responsibility” in their roles.

Following the Mass, Archbishop Cushley expressed optimism about the engagement between the bishops and lawmakers. He highlighted the importance of building relationships that foster dialogue on areas of both agreement and disagreement. “The bishops wish to engage positively with the country’s lawmakers, and, in spite of UK-wide elections presently taking place, I for one was pleased with the interest of the MSPs who were able to respond positively to the invitation to meet us,” he said.

Archbishop Cushley encouraged Catholics to engage with their MSPs and MPs, stressing the importance of expressing views and concerns cordially and candidly for the common good.

This comes after the Church criticised the parliament after it passed legislation that will in effect “criminalise prayer”.

The law will prevent pro-life vigils from taking place within 200 metres of the 30 hospitals and medical facilities across Scotland where terminations are carried out.

This comes as we have previously reported that a majority of Scots don’t back nationwide buffer zones.

The Church has criticised the bill as it criminalises “audible prayer” and “silent vigils.” Anthony Horan, director of the Catholic Parliamentary Office (CPO) warns it would even criminalise certain actions in private homes.

The “safe access zone” includes not only the facility – usually a hospital – in which abortions are performed, but also land within 200 meters (a little over 650 feet) of the edge of the protected premises. The proposed law says the 200 meters may be extended by the Scottish government following an application by the relevant Health Board or health provider.

“Crucially, there is no upper limit on the size of ‘buffer zone’ the government can create,” the CPO says.