The Scottish Catholic Will Be That Voice
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THE SCOTTIS H CATSCOTLANDH’S CATHOO LIC MAGALICZINE Catholics Coanvd id Priests and people tell their stories B Papal visit to Glasgow B Converting during Covid B St Colomba – A child’s tale B Who will come back to Church? ISSUE 0 | August 2021 | Price £2 Advertise Here Contact Mary McGinty on 07711 849234 www.thescottishcatholic.com Nimolin ta reviverem B Sulist in videria L. Mariconsum B Condiu intiamdissi trum In Ita niusquam pro ut B Omniquonvo Tur re B Eum serum, offic tecturestium THE SCOTTIS H CONTENT CATHO LIC ISSue 0 | August 2021 | Price £2 A voice, so we speak to one another help us Launching a new publication at any time is understand what we as Catholics are living a challenge. Launching a Catholic one in through and support each other. the aftermath of a global pandemic when And a voice that will speak clearly out churches have been shut for most of a year into the world, this is who are we are and is a huge one. what we believe. We know that we will only succeed The Scottish Catholic will be that voice. with your help. The three founders, Ian Dunn, Mary This is a sample edition that we’ve McGinty and Dan McGinty have a produced to as a demonstration. We need combined four decades of experience in your feedback to make the first edition this Catholic media. Throughout our careers autumn as strong as it can possibly be. we’ve broke stories, ran papers and stood Please read carefully and tell us what The founders discuss the up for what we believe. you think. We think you’ll be impressed The Scottish Catholic We believe in the one, holy, Catholic but don’t hold back. and apostolic Church. And we believe in With your help, this will be the start of We’ve all lost a lot in the last year. journalism. That there are stories to be told something very special. Now that we’re coming out of the that have to be uncovered. pandemic it’s time to take stock and see That is why we believe passionately that God bless, what we need to recover. Catholics in Scotland need a title that one of the things we lost was a national covers the whole country, that talks to Ian Dunn Catholic publication for Scotland. every corner of the Church and does it in a That’s a big loss. Because our fresh and exciting way. Mary McGinty community needs a voice, a voice that will We have no illusions about how big a Dan McGinty tell the stories of our lives. task we’ve set ourselves. Don’t miss an issue Subscribe Now ■ News 4 5 Scottish Catholic news 6 Around the dioceses ■ World News 7 The big story broken down 18 19 Around the world. What's happening in the ■ School News Vatican and beyond 8 9 Scottish Catholic schools A remarkable picture of the moment a rosary made from balloons was taken to ■ arts Opinion heaven after the wire it was attached to snapped during a live broadcast with ■ the Pope at Carfin Grotto. 20 arts. The prayers of 10 11 Catholic columns. This Hundreds of worshippers looked on as the display - made from 70 con - comedians and jailbird week James Bundy and Sally nected helium balloons - rose into the sky just before they received their final Fraser blessings. The balloon beads were meant to be floating above the event and be taken ■ Kids down after, but the wind unexpectedly snapped the wire attached to the 70ft- ■ Feature long chain and a blow-up crucifix and swept it out of sight. 21 St Colomba’s story for children 12 15 Catholics and Covid Real Father Jim Grant said: “At the end of the prayers, just before the final blessing stories of Faith amid the we released the balloons. “It was at the end of the rosary, just before the conclusion. We had intended pandemic to have the display tethered but a gust of wind blew it into a direction and the ■ Wish you 16 ordinary Catholics wire snapped. It was just nature. If there had been divine intervention I would were here Extraordinary lives have loved it to be floating all over Scotland spreading the message of the rosary. It was only by accident that they were let loose. It was a dramatic end to 22 23 The big days you missed 17 a Place to Pray the rosary.” Where were you when you felt More coverage of this remarkable event at Carfin on Page 22. closest to God? www.thescottishcatholic.com SeND uS AN eMAIL: FoLLoW uS: CALL uS oN: [email protected] facebook/thescottishcatholic 07908 871858 The SCoTTISh CaThOLIC – August 2021 | 3 NEWS assisted suicide threat Actress and disability rights campaigner Liz Carr has spoken out against the latest effort to legalise assisted suicide in Scotland. By IAN DUNN n a letter to the Sunday Times, Carr, (right) who starred in the BBC crime Ithriller series Silent Witness, urged MPs to reject assisted suicide following the introduction of Baroness Meacher’s Assisted Dying Bill in the house of Lords. A similar bill is expected to be intro - duced in the Scottish Parliament later this year. Carr also argued that disability groups are still opposed to assisted suicide and ANTICATHOLICISM that for her, and others with degenera - tive conditions, the idea of an assisted RECOGNITION law is terrifying. The Scottish Parliament has twice re - Campaigners have praised jected attempted to legalise assisted sui - Scotland’s politicians for calling out cide. In 2010 the Assistance in Dying Bill shocking anti-Catholic behaviour in in 2010 was rejected by 85 votes to 16. The revised Assisted Suicide Scotland Glasgow this spring. Bill in 2015 was also rejected by 82 votes to 36. ■ Actress Liz Carr BY IAN DUNN change in approach from politicians as identifying explicitly anti-Catholic behaviour New fund to protect Arather than the catch all sectarianism. On May 12th supporters of Rangers Football churches Club gathered in large numbers in George Square and engaging in a range of illegal behaviours, A new fund has been launched including attacking the police and anti-Catholic chanting. “People across the country still living by the Scottish Governmen t under the most difficult restrictions – not able to that will pay for Catholic see family or attend weddings and funerals – are rightly furious at the irresponsible actions of parishes to install CCTV and a thuggish minority who seem to care little for other security measures. the risks they pose to other people,” First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said. By IAN DUNN Humza Yousaf, Scotland’s Justice Secretary, said he was “beyond angry and beyond frustrated” by what happened on Saturday. he hate Crime Security Fund has been developed by the Scottish government “What I saw [on Saturday], as I would describe in partnership with Police Scotland and faith communities can apply for Tgrants of up to £20,000. it, was anti-Catholic. It was anti-Catholic prejudice. Police Scotland Assistant Chief Constable Gary Ritchie said: “Faith leaders and their It was anti-Catholic hatred,” he told Radio Clyde. congregations should be able to attend worship without fear of crime or persecution. “It’s depressing on our streets in 2021. How “Targeting people, places or communities because of their religious affiliation is unac - must our Catholic community feel? How would I ceptable and Police Scotland works alongside our religious communities to safeguard feel as a person who is a Muslim, if there were against crime of any nature, and in particular hate crime. officers regularly liaise with groups of people singing Islamophobic chants community and faith leaders and monitor issues and tensions across Scotland. or songs? I wouldn’t feel safe,” he said. “We thoroughly investigate every hate crime incident. We are also aware hate crime A spokesperson for the Scottish Church said is significantly under-reported, and we always encourage anyone who witnesses an their had to be consquences for anti-Catholic incident, be they victim or bystander, to make us aware and allow us to determine behviour. whether an offence has been committed.” At a hustings before the recent election, rep - Individual grants will be available for a maximum of three security measures to resentatives of all the many parties committed mitigate the risk from hate crime, such as CCTV, security doors, alarms, fencing, video to calling out anti-Catholic prejudice . ■ intercoms and improved lighting . ■ Pa pal VISIT TO GLASGOW Hopes are rising that Pope Francis may visit Glasgow this November. By IAN DUNN lthough no official confirmation has been "We've been hearing that, so it's nice to have confirmation," one given, there are increasing signs from the Vat - of the staff members replies. ican that the Pope is keen to visit the Dear "It will be amazing, I'm telling you it will have a profound im - Green Place for the united Nations Climate pact," Kerry says. Change Conference CoP 26. The British Government is very keen for the Pope to attend, with At a press conference in late May Cardinal it’s designated CoP President Alok Sharma travelling to Vatican city Turkson, a senior Vatican official, said he in early May to lobby for the holy Father’s attendance. could not confirm that the would join a Vatican delegation at CoP The Scottish Catholic understands that any visit by the Pope, would 26, but that ‘the request has been made and addressed to him’. he be brief and likely only last one day. Although it would focus on aAdded there have been discussions of Francis and ecumenical Pa - the Conference site at the SeCC a visit to the wider city is not im - triarch Bartholomew, the spiritual leader of eastern orthodox possible.