Tom Devine: Catholic leaders have created the rift between scholars and the Church
Letter to The Herald: Herbert Coutts writes that attacks on Archbishop Emeritus Mario Conti by those opposed to the relocation of the Historic Archives from Columba House in Edinburgh “are becoming tedious” (Letters, April 13). I strongly beg to differ. It is the unconvincing attempts at defence of the archbishop and the overt special pleading [...]
Choir walks out after row with Edinburgh church
An unholy row has erupted at an Edinburgh church, prompting a walk-out by the choir. The choir, choirmaster and organist have all walked out of historic St Patrick’s Parish Church in the Cowgate following a bitter spat with church bosses. The choirmaster and organist are said to have found it “increasingly difficult” to work with [...]
Glasgow nurse is ‘angel’ to ‘slumdogs’ of Calcutta
There were three reasons why Glasgow-born nurse Janie O’Reilly left the luxury of her adopted home to help the inhabitants of Calcutta’s slums. The first was a life-long interest in the life and work of the late Mother Teresa. The second was, having been shocked by the poverty she witnessed holidaying in Delhi, to mark [...]
Scottish Catholic Archives closed after mould find
The Scottish Catholic Archives have been shut down after mould was discovered on items in the collection. Columba House, an early 19th-century townhouse in Edinburgh, which has been home to the archives for over 50 years, will be closed to researchers and members of the public until further notice, said a spokesman for the Catholic [...]
Scottish Catholic church’s handling of abuse is a sham, says former insider
A former child protection consultant for the Scottish Catholic church has criticised its procedures for dealing with abuse, branding them a sham, only weeks after the country’s most senior cleric, Cardinal Keith O’Brien, was forced to resign over allegations of inappropriate sexual conduct. As evidence mounts of the chaotic response in the church to the [...]
Fascist Scotland: Blackshirts failed in Thirties because of Protestant and nationalist ‘running sores’
Fascism in Britain is normally associated with England, and especially the East End of London – and even then dismissed as a marginal political phenomenon, writes Gavin Bowd. The dark side of nationalism in Scotland has rarely been the object of academic research, and has been largely ignored by a political class that seems convinced [...]
Dundee sheriff criticises anti-sectarian legislation and blames denominational schools
A sheriff has cleared a man of singing inflammatory songs at a Dundee FC match, blaming “horribly badly drafted” legislation. Sheriff Richard Davidson blasted attempts to tackle sectarianism in football through laws banning certain songs, instead laying the blame at the door of denominational schools. Celtic fan Dion McLeish, 20, was found not guilty of [...]
Pope Francis: Church must ‘act decisively’ against paedophile priests
Pope Francis said the Catholic Church must “act decisively” against the scourge of paedophile priests, in his first public remarks on the scandal since being elected last month. Tackling the sexual abuse of children by clergymen was vital for restoring the “credibility” of the Church worldwide, Francis said. He issued the declaration after holding a [...]
UK can lead G8 in striking at causes of poverty, say religious leaders
Religious leaders from across the G8 countries have called on heads of government to follow the UK in fulfilling existing commitments to spend 0.7% of national income on aid, in a letter to the Financial Times. More than 70 religious leaders point out that from today 1000 days remain to achieve the Millennium Development Goals [...]
Free Kirk’s good wishes to Archbishop Welby … but none for Pope Francis
The Moderator of the Free Church of Scotland has written to the new Archbishop of Canterbury conveying his prayerful good wishes in his new role. Rev Dr Iain D Campbell, minister of Point Free Church on the Isle of Lewis, said he hoped God would use Rev Justin Welby (pictured below) to “bring the Church [...]
