SUBSCRIBE TO YOUR ONLY NATIONAL CATHOLIC NEWSPAPER SEE PAGE 2 FOR DETAILS How big is Scotland’s Catholic population? Page Media Office director Peter Kearney invites parishioners to help find out 6 No 5400 www.sconews.co.uk Friday January 28 2011 | 90p Catholic marriage is no one’s right I Holy Father’s warning of serious obligations is echoed by Scottish Catholic Marriage Tribunal By Ian Dunn For the marriage to be valid, the couple must understand the commitment being undertaken, A MAN and a woman’s natural right to he said. marry should not be confused with having Pastoral workers and marriage tribunal offi- the right to a Catholic wedding, Pope cials together ‘must work to interrupt, to the Benedict XVI has warned. extent possible, the vicious cycle frequently The Holy Father said that the Catholic Church noted of too easily allowing couples to marry has a very specific religious understanding of without adequate preparation’ and ‘the sometimes what marriage is and that ‘no one can claim the equally easy judicial declaration’ that a marriage right to a marriage ceremony’ in the Church. is invalid, the Pope said. Both approaches give Mgr Peter Magee of the Scottish Catholic people a sense that the Catholic Church no longer Marriage Tribunal told the SCO this week that the sees marriage as truly being binding forever, he Pope’s message underlines the very real obliga- said. tions and preparations required for Catholic mar- riage. Scottish perspective Mgr Magee, of the Scottish Catholic Marriage Celebrating marriage Tribunal, said the Pope’s words stressed the vital The right to contract marriage ‘presupposes that sacramental nature of Catholic marriage and the one is able to and intends to truly celebrate it, that obligations that entailed. is, in the truth of its essence as taught by the “Marriage is a human right that should be free Church,’ Pope Benedict said last Saturday when to all, but the sacrament of marriage, a Catholic he appealed for effective pastoral action in mar- marriage requires a greater awareness, greater riage preparation. preparation and a level of appreciation of what’s He made the comments during an audience involved: that the couple are entering a vocation,” with members of the Roman Rota, a Vatican- he said. based tribunal that deals with marriage and annul- “We want marriage to be accessible but a sacra- ment. mental Catholic marriage is not an Eastenders “Often it is assumed that the priest must act marriage, it’s a very serious thing. People need to with largesse, since the natural right of persons to realise there are obligations in Catholic marriage, marry is at stake,” the Pope added, but for the the pre-marriage enquiry and so on that must be Catholic Church, there exists only one kind of taken seriously by the couple and the priest.” marriage—sacramental—and the right of While the number of divorces in Scotland has Catholic couples to celebrate the sacrament can fallen to a 30-year low, Scottish Government fig- be exercised only if they fully understand what ures released last month also revealed that there they are doing. were 10,173 divorces in 2009/10. However, the For the Catholic Church, marriage is a sacra- reports showed that Catholic marriages last the ment that is witnessed by a priest or deacon, but longest. performed by the couple who pledge their union “Statistics showing that Catholic marriages last will be forever and that they will be open to hav- 50 per cent longer than others is also a hopeful ing and educating children, the Pope said. sign, suggesting that the increased take-up of the marriage preparation courses offered by the Marriage preparation Church in partnership with Scottish Marriage In his annual meeting with the tribunal officials, Care is having an effect,” Cardinal Keith Pope Benedict said he wanted to focus on the O’Brien, president of the Bishops’ Conference of legal or juridical aspect of Catholic marriage Scotland, said when the report was published. preparation programmes, because too often engaged couples—and even those preparing them I [email protected] for marriage—consider the courses simply a bureaucratic hurdle to overcome before the wedding. Pope Benedict XVI (inset right) Pope Benedict said anyone involved in mar- has said that the Catholic Church has a very specific riage preparation programmes, but especially the understanding of what marriage (main) is and says priest or other pastoral worker conducting the that ‘no one can claim the right to a obligatory pre-marriage interviews with the marriage ceremony’ in the Church, a view that potential bride and potential groom, has an obli- has been supported by Mgr Peter gation to ensure there is nothing standing in the Magee (inset far right) of the Scottish Catholic way of a valid and licit celebration of the Marriage Tribunal sacrament. INSET RIGHT PIC: PAUL McSHERRY TOM CLARKE MP CONVERSIONS NEW HIGH SCHOOL wins pledge of increase but some is named after the support from questions remain late cardinal and David Cameron over new process’ former Glasgow after referendum implementation Archbishop SUDAN SUPPORT SUDAN Pages 4, 8 Page 5 CARDINAL WINNING Page 3 visit www.sconews.co.uk ORDINARIATE CONCERNS ORDINARIATE SCO, 19 Waterloo Street, Glasgow G2 6BT I tel 0141 221 4956 I fax 0141 221 4546 e-mail [email protected] 2 NEWS SUPPORT YOUR NATIONAL CATHOLIC NEWSPAPER SCOTTISH CATHOLIC OBSERVER Friday January 28 2011 Youthful celebration for school’s 70th By Martin Dunlop CARDINAL Keith O’Brien was on hand to help the community of Our Lady’s Primary School, Stoneyburn, celebrate their 70th anniversary last Thursday. The day began with the cardinal cele- brating Mass at Our Lady’s Church for pupils, staff, parents and parishioners before the festivities were moved to the school for an energetic Dance through the Decades show from the pupils. This was followed by tea and cakes for all those who had come along to celebrate 70 years of education at the Stoneyburn school. Top Scot honour rounds off an Local minister Tom Preston was among the guests joining the cardinal and amazing year for Susan Boyle Our Lady’s headteacher, Frances Burns, for the celebrations. CATHOLIC singing sensa- Susan Boyle performing at Cardinal O’Brien also took time out tion Susan Boyle has been Bellahouston Park in Glasgow on following the Mass to greet Our Lady’s named Scot of the Year 2010 the day of the Papal visit to youngest parishioner, 8-week-old Mame by a charity. Scotland PIC: PAUL McSHERRY MacMillan and her mother Laura. Ms Boyle came out on top Joanne McKissack, class teacher at (Above) Pupils take part in the offertory procession at Our Lady’s Church in after picking up 95 per cent of ‘beyond her wildest dreams.’ Our Lady’s, was thrilled with the Stoneyburn. (Right) Cardinal O’Brien with the vote. ScotsCare, the charity The Scot of the Year winner school’s birthday celebrations and Laura MacMillan and baby Mame for vulnerable Scots in London, was announced to celebrate applauded the work of her teaching col- PICS: PAUL McSHERRY said she had attracted the largest Scottish achievement on Burns league who was charged with choreo- ever vote in the history of the Day. “Susan is a very deserving graphing the pupils’ dance routines. award. winner,” Willie Docherty, “It was a great day from start to finish a devastating earthquake. The singer, from Blackburn, ScotsCare chief executive, said. and we couldn’t believe how busy both “Most of the pupils had only ever seen West Lothian has sold an amaz- “I am sure Rabbie Burns would the church and the school were,” she the cardinal on the television or in the ing 14 million albums in 14 be very proud of her achieve- said. papers so they were delighted to meet months and she is the highest ment in securing a second num- Ms McKissack added that the pupils him,” she said. selling artist in the world for ber one album on both sides of were a ‘credit to the school’ throughout “They have since been talking about Sony music for the second year the Atlantic.” the day and were enthused by the words how much they want to help the Haitians running. She said last year that Shamed politician Tommy of Cardinal O’Brien, who spoke to them in their Lenten collections.” singing for Pope Benedict XVI Sheridan drew three per cent of about his recent visit to Haiti with on September 16 at Bellahous- support to take second place in SCIAF, a year after the country suffered I [email protected] ton Park, Glasgow, was the charity poll. Friday January 28 2011 SCOTTISH CATHOLIC OBSERVER SUPPORT YOUR NATIONAL CATHOLIC NEWSPAPER NEWS 3 Call for William Wallace letter to be returned to Scotland A LETTER widely believed to have been snatched from Scottish hero William Wallace when he was cap- tured by the English should be returned to Scotland, according to historians. The letter is believed to have been written by King Philip IV of France to urge the Pope to ‘hold our loved William le Walois of Scotland, knight, recommended to his favour’ How the letter fell into during his proposed visit to the English hands is also disputed. Roman Court. The nature of Most of the experts are said to the business Wallace hoped to favour the theory that the letter discuss with the Pope is was snatched from Wallace’s unclear, and no surviving evi- hands when he was arrested for dence exists that Wallace ever treason in August 1305.