Door Opens to God's Mercy For
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Looking ahead to Powerful calls to events as the examine voca- Extraordinary Jubilee tions in Glasgow Year of Mercy begins. and beyond. Pages 2, 6-7, 10-11 SUPPORTING 50 YEARS OF SCIAF, 1965-2015 Pages 2, 22 No 5650 VISIT YOUR NATIONAL CATHOLIC NEWSPAPER ONLINE AT WWW.SCONEWS.CO.UK Friday December 11 2015 | £1 I As Pope Francis opens the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy, Scotland prepares to follow his example Door opens to God’s mercy for all By Ian Dunn POPE Francis has said the Church must put mercy first as he opened a Holy Door at St Peter’s Basilica and launched the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy. The Pope was joined by Pope Emeri- tus Benedict XVI on Tuesday as he pushed open the doors and prayed on the threshold of the Basilica on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. The year, from December 8 to the Feast of Christ the King next November, has been declared a jubilee year during which the faithful can receive blessing and pardon from God and remission of sins. Across the world Holy Doors will be opened in cathedrals and churches with St Andrew’s Cathedral in Glasgow and St Mary’s Cathedral in Edinburgh set to open their Holy Doors on Sunday. vinced of God’s mercy.” Archbishop Leo Cushley of St “But that is the truth,” he went on. Andrews and Edinburgh has said he “We have to put mercy before judge- hopes Catholics will re-embrace the ment, and in any event God’s judgement Sacrament of Confession in the Year will always be in the light of His mercy. of Mercy. In passing through the Holy Door, then, may we feel that we ourselves are part Launch of this mystery of love. Let us set aside Seventy thousand people attended Mass all fear and dread, for these do not befit in St Peter’s Square before the opening men and women who are loved. Instead, on Tuesday, which had very stringent let us experience the joy of encountering PIC: PAUL McSHERRY security including uniformed military that grace which transforms all things.” patrolling through the crowd. In his homily, the Pope said the Second Vatican Council Archbishop Leo Cushley lays out his plan to tour the ‘clusters’ of ARCHBISHOP GOES ON parishes in St Andrews and Edinburgh Archdiocese with the help of Extraordinary Holy Year was a gift The Pope also paid tribute to the Second pupils from St Peter’s Primary School. In addition to meeting more of of grace. Vatican Council as ‘a genuine encounter the clergy and parishioners in the archdiocese, Archbishop Cushley “To pass through the Holy Door between the Church and the men and TOUR OF ST ANDREWS hopes the tour will help him assess the needs of the archdiocese for means to rediscover the infinite mercy women of our time.’ the future in terms of resources, clergy and so on, given that by 2020 he of the Father who welcomes everyone expects to have 33 diocesan priests but the archdiocese currently has I Continued on page 7 and goes out personally to encounter AND EDINBURGH 111 parishes. For report, see page 3. each of them,” he said. “This will be a I Editorial, page 9 year in which we grow ever more con- I News and opinion, page 6-7, 10,11 SCO, 19 Waterloo Street, Glasgow G2 6BT I tel 0141 221 4956 I fax 0141 221 4546 I e-mail [email protected] 2 NEWS SCOTTISH CATHOLIC OBSERVER FRIDAY DECEMBER 11 2015 Powerful vocations message from Glasgow’s Archbishop in uncertain times ARCHBISHOP Philip long time now God has been senses and be saved, suggests Tartaglia of Glasgow cele- systematically denied and set St Paul in his epistle to the brated a special Mass for aside,” he said. “World leaders Romans. vocations on St Andrew’s are talking again of war and “But they will not ask his Feast Day and sent a power- destruction. The world appears help unless they believe in him, ful message at St Andrew’s unstable. The future is uncer- and they will not believe in him Cathedral in the city. tain. And these same leaders unless they have heard of him, “This call of Jesus to us to are gathering in Paris, where and they will not hear of him follow him is urgent,” he said these most recent terrorist unless they get a preacher, and during the vocations closing atrocities took place, to try to they will never have a preacher Mass, adding that we live in agree measures which will help unless one is sent.” So the challenging and difficult times limit anthropogenic climate question is: will it be you? Fol- following the likes of the Paris change… Once again, uncer- low me and I will make you massacres tainty, fear and the spectre of fishers of men. Will it be you? “Terrorism and murder are calamity abound. Will it be you who will offer the sign of a moral darkness “In this context, the world our brothers and sisters a help- which undoubtedly has many needs a word of peace, of light ing hand… other manifestations in our con- and of reason. The world needs “Will you come and help temporary society where for a the help of God to come to its me? I need your help.” Schoenstatt Scotland SPOTLIGHT ON hosted Vespers and Benediction sung by Schola Cantorum of St Patrick’s Edinburgh for the Eve of the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy, December 2015 – November 2016.The principal Celebrant was Fr Joe Sullivan, parish priest at Holy Cross Croy, and the event included Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament PICS: PAUL McSHERRY The Scottish hierarchy was well represented at the recent lecture by Francis Campbell at Glasgow University.The vice-chancellor of St Mary’s University London spoke on Catholic Education: Challenges and Opportunities at the event, hosted by The St Andrew’s Foundation. Leonardo Franchi, head of the foundation, was joined at the lecture by Archbishop Philip Tartaglia (right),Archbishop Leo Cushley (below) and Bishop John Keenan (below right) PICS: ROBERT WILSON No 5652 VISIT YOUR NATIONAL CATHOLIC NEWSPAPER ONLINE AT WWW.SCONEWS.CO.UK Friday Dec 25 2015-Jan 1 2016 | £2 DON’T MISS YOUR 48-PAGE SCO DOUBLE CHRISTMAS EDITION, IN PARISHES BY DECEMBER 25, PRICED £2 S EWTN CATHOLIC TV IS ON SKY EPG 589 Sky Freesat £175 total cost , no monthly charges. 200 Free channels including EWTN TV & Radio. Call Sky on 08442411602 for installation. Call EWTN on 020 83502542 or e-mail [email protected] for free monthly posted programme guide and Archbishop Philip Tartaglia joined Glasgow Lord Provost Sadie Docherty and pupils from John Paul II Primary School, Glasgow, to bless the 2015 Nativity crib on visit www.ewtn.co.uk for more info. display in George Square in the city centre PIC: PAUL McSHERRY WWW.SCONEWS.CO.UK FRIDAY DECEMBER 11 2015 SCOTTISH CATHOLIC OBSERVER NEWS 3 Catholic education spokesman PIC: PAUL McSHERRY gives qualified support for new state-funded Muslim school A CATHOLIC education over why there isn’t any state- spokesman has given funded Muslim school,” he said. qualified support to a bid to “I live in East Renfrewshire, create Scotland’s first state- which has great Catholic funded Muslim school. schools and where a new £13 The Al-Qalam school in million joint campus for Jewish Glasgow has submitted a and Catholic pupils. Considering proposal to First Minister the number of Muslim pupils Nicola Sturgeon to expand into around Glasgow many ask why secondary education with the we don’t have a faith-based help of public funding. school but where the national Michael McGrath, director of curriculum is taught.” the Scottish Catholic Education The school is the second this Service, said there was an year to contact the Scottish ‘understandable desire’ among Government with a proposal to some Scottish Muslims who do set up a state-funded facility not currently have access to state outside council control. -funded Islamic faith education. Ms Sturgeon is already “They see the positive impact considering proposals from of Catholic schools and wish to families in East Dunbartonshire emulate that,” he said. “The to take over the running of the Church would generally be Catholic St Joseph’s Primary supportive of people who School in Milngavie, which is embrace that model of being shut by the council and parental choice.” its pupils offered state-funded The ‘Muslim community Catholic education at St would have a strong case for Andrew’s Primary School in such a school’ he said Bearsden. The groups pushing ‘provided it meets existing for both state funded community standards of teachers, and -governed schools are being openness and is governed to advised on their proposals by the same expectations.’ the Hometown foundation, Archbishop Cushley tours archdiocese His support, however, would whose director Bill Nicol has be ‘contingent on such a school said parents across Scotland being managed on the same basis should be given the right to set and discusses his restructuring plans as other ‘denominational’schools up community schools outside in Scotland and subject to the council control. same statutory requirements.’ A Scottish Government By Ian Dunn I think we all found it very worthwhile.” centred on Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist.’ Under current plans, however, spokeswoman said officials had The meeting began with prayer before “That requires a realistic discussion as the 60-pupil school would be received the submission from ARCHBISHOP Leo Cushley of St the archbishop outlined the key principles to how we best use the material and spiritual funded by the state, but run by an the Muslim group and would Andrews and Edinburgh has begun a of his vision for the future of the archdiocese resources we currently have within each independent board of governors respond in due course.