Scotland Mourns with Paris
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Archbishop Church’s resolute Fisichella heads to pro-life stance Glasgow to speak in from conception Catholic education to death. Pages week. Page 3 SUPPORTING 50 YEARS OF SCIAF, 1965-2015 9, 11, 12 No 5603 JOIN THE KNIGHTS OF ST COLUMBA PARYER CAMPAIGN, SEE PAGE 13 Friday January 16 2015 | £1 Demonstration outside SRI LANKA’S ‘APOSTLE’ IS Holyrood as assisted FIRST SAINT suicide bill progresses Pope Francis arrives for the Canonisation Mass of St Joseph By Ian Dunn Vaz at Galle Face Green in compassionate response is Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Wednesday help and good care.” morning, near the seafront. He THE latest attempt to Inside the parliament, Canonised the nation’s first saint legalise assisted suicide in legal experts and the police on the second day of his visit to Scotland has run into said the proposed law needed the country. In front of huge difficulties as lawyers more clarity. crowds, estimated at 500,000, suggested it could be Professor Alison Britton of the Pope urged people to follow unworkable, while the Law Society of Scotland the example of 17th Century protesters made their said a definition of assisting missionary Joseph Vaz, an opposition clear outside suicide was needed, especially example of religious tolerance the Scottish Parliament. in cases where someone had relevant to Sri Lanka. The Assisted Suicide become too ill to end their “St Joseph shows us the (Scotland) Bill would give life. “We need to be very clear importance of transcending people with a progressive what actually this assistance religious divisions in the service degenerative condition or encompasses, and we need to of peace,” the Pope said in terminal illness the right to be also clear at what point is his homily. seek the help of a doctor to there a demarcation where St Joseph, who was captured help end their lives. It is assistance is being given and as a suspected spy after he crept into the tropical island in firmly opposed by the Catholic that actually crosses over to disguise, was born in 1651 in Church. On Tuesday, the bill being complicit in homicide,” Goa, India. He became known as made progress on its passage she said. the ‘apostle of Sri Lanka,’ its through the Scottish Parliament Prosecutor Stephen only priest until 1697. as the health committee McGowan, representing the began taking evidence on the Crown Office, also criticised I Papal visit to South Asia, proposed legislation. the way the law was drafted page 6 As that happened, opponents as problematic. of assisted suicide led by the “The key part of this is, disabled rights group Not there is no definition of what Dead Yet UK gathered assistance actually is and outside the Scottish Parliament what it is to assist someone to protest. in suicide,” he said. “The bill would put many Detective Chief Scotland mourns with Paris vulnerable people at risk as Superintendent Gary no safeguard can protect Flannigan, of Police Scotland, against all the influences that added: “Any confusion is By Ian Dunn “Christians believe in the power of prayer: could pressure someone into likely to lead to a police but so do Jews, so do Muslims,” he said. “Let making the decision to end investigation, which I think BISHOP Emeritus Peter Moran of all of us pray; and let us work for mutual their life,” a spokesperson for most people would seek to Aberdeen said that he was ‘stunned by recognition and understanding.” the group said. “The push for avoid, and that would be the the murderous attacks in Paris last week’ Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of assisted suicide comes from a consequence of a lack of and urges prayer for ‘mutual recognition Westminster, has sent a letter of condolence to genuine concern for suffering clarity around this specific and understanding.’ his counterpart in Paris, CardinalAndré Vingt- but at the cost of unjust risks issue.” Last week’s three days of terror began with Trois. to the vulnerable and with no an attack on the satirical magazine Charlie “This dreadful and merciless attack has clear boundaries. The truly I Continued on page 3 Hebdo—which had published mocking images caused anguish throughout the civilised world of the Prophet Mohammed—on January 7, and I add my prayers to those of many others with a total of 17 people killed by Islamist from all faiths for the victims and their loved gunmen, including journalists. ones,” he writes. Bishop Moran, who often said Mass for the “I know that the Church will continue its French community in Aberdeen when bishop witness to reconciliation and peace-building there, said that ‘these events touch us all.’ during this terrible time for France and I assure “Tens of thousands of French people live you of my support and solidarity as you in London; smaller but significant numbers exercise your pastoral leadership to help heal live in Scotland, particularly in Aberdeen a city wounded by violence and hatred.” since oil-exploration in the North Sea PIC: PA PHOTOS brought companies such as Total and Elf I Paris terror attacks, see page 6-7 Aquitaine there in the 1970s,” he said. “I personally have long-term friendships from perpetrators were French-born and were I Bishop’s Moran’s full comments on the Paris that time. I also have a nephew and a cousin French citizens,” he said. “What went wrong? attacks at www.sconews.co.uk who live and work near Paris.” In theory France is a very centralised country, The bishop said he had been impressed by but questions arise (not new, but with a new I [email protected] the ‘unprecedented numbers’ that took to the urgency) about local pockets of radicalisation, streets to demonstrate against the violence— about social inequality, about the free and that the ‘demonstrations were not anti- movement of workers, about immigration Islam.’ quotas, about racism. Marches for peace took place in Paris, “Security authorities emphasise that other Glasgow (above right), Edinburgh, many other terrorist plots have been identified and foiled. European cites and as far away as Australia. Unfortunately, this one wasn’t.” “Many French people will have been As well as practical solutions, ‘we also shocked, and perhaps even ashamed, that the need to pray’ the bishop said. SCO, 19 Waterloo Street, Glasgow G2 6BT I tel 0141 221 4956 I fax 0141 221 4546 I e-mail [email protected] 2 WHAT’S ON SCOTTISH CATHOLIC OBSERVER FRIDAY JANUARY 16 2015 What’s On Singing St Mungo’s praises at festival (Above left) Archbishop Emeritus Mario Conti and By Daniel Harkins Lourdes, Our Lady of the Annunciation, St Dr Laurence Whitly presented the Molendinar A weekly guide to upcoming Church-related Conval’s, St Mary’s, St Monica’s and St Awards to school pupils during the St Mungo events, more online at www.sconews.co.uk GLASGOW was filled with celebrations Paul’s—came to Wellington Church for Festival in Glasgow.They are seen here with last weekend as the city residents took a day of song and performance, with Jeena Docherty and Antony Doci from St Roch’s SUNDAY JANUARY 18 MONDAY JANUARY 19 part in the annual St Mungo’s Festival. traditional Glasgow music Ye cannae shove Primary. (Above right) Feast day Mass at St I Mass for Migrants at St I The Well is Deep. Each January the life of the patron saint yer granny aff a bus and the Jeely Piece Mungo’s,Townhead. Principal Celebrant Mary's Cathedral, Edinburgh, Archishop Philip Tartaglia of Glasgow is celebrated and 2015 was no Song. Archbishop Emeritus Conti with clergy from St to celebrate the annual World will lead a service to mark the exception. Last Friday saw a number of On Saturday, a copy of the 12th century Mungo’s and the Archdiocese including Fr Day for Migrants and Week of Prayer for Christian pupils come to the City Chambers for the manuscript, the Vita Kentigernae (Life of David Wallace, Mgr Peter Smith and Fr Paul Milarvie. St Mungo was portrayed by Szymon Refugees, led by Archbishop Unity in St Andrew’s Molendinar Awards, which are designed to St Kentigern) was put on display in (Simon) Matusiak, a Primary 6 pupil from St Leo Cushley. This year Pope Cathedral. Begins 7pm, all encourage students to explore and interact Mitchell Library. A service jointly organised Monica’s Primary, Milton. (Below left) St Francis’ theme is: Church welcome. with their local history and their community. by the Mitchell and Glasgow Churches Mungo’s Bairns took place at Wellington Church, without frontiers, Mother to all. The Molendinar is the stream around which Together began with Noel Donnelly and included 12 primary schools, together with All welcome. If you would like WEDNESDAY JANUARY 21 a Christian settlement was established in playing the clarsach—a Gaelic harp— I 30 second year music students from Glasgow to attend the reception afterwards Question Time @ Conforti. the sixth century and where St Mungo before Archbishop Emeritus Conti and the University’s BEd degree course. (Below right) The please email: Miriam .mchardy A panel of invited guests will founded his first church. St Mungo Singers chanted the beginning of children of the Glasgow Russian Orthodox School @staned.org.uk respond to the question; “How Archbishop Emeritus Mario Conti of the Latin Vespers for the Feast of St singing in the festival I Ecumenical service to mark can Scotland move beyond Glasgow and Dr Laurence Whitly presented Mungo. The short service ended with the PICS ABOVE: PAUL McSHERRY the beginning of Christian Sectarianism?” Speaker will awards at the ceremony to P7 children of St singing of the Glasgow anthem Let Unity Week.