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SPUC STAFF Parishes SCOTTISH report from asked to help MINISTER at the March for out during SCIAF project Life in the US GLASGOW 2014 in Zambia Pages 12-13 Pages 4-5 Page 3 No 5554 VISIT YOUR NATIONAL CATHOLIC NEWSPAPER ONLINE AT WWW.SCONEWS.CO.UK Friday January 31 2014 | £1 ATTACK ON SIGN OF PEACE This tranquil image of Pope Francis watching as children release peace doves from his balcony at St Peter’s on Sunday was beamed all over the world, JPII relic but the symbolic moment did not last for long. Shortly after their release, the doves were stolen from attacked by a seagull and a large, black crow. The predators swept down on the doves after they were set free from an open sanctuary window of the Apostolic Palace. The Holy Father prayed on Sun- THIEVES have broken into a day for the start of a ‘construc- tive dialogue’ in Ukraine, sanctuary dedicated to Blessed releasing two white doves to John Paul II and stolen a reli- symbolise the hope for peace. In quary containing his blood. 2012, the doves released by The church of San Pietro della Pope Benedict XVI flew back Ienca lies in an isolated spot in the into the Vatican apartments mountains in central Italy. Over the weekend, thieves broke some protec- tive iron bars and forced their way in I Update on tensions in the through a window. Ukraine, pages 6-7 They left the collection box, but I Cartoonist’s take on took a Crucifix and the priceless ‘angry birds,’ page 9 relic, which contains a piece of gauze once soaked in the blood of the late Pope—one of only three such relics in the world. Members of the local cultural association supporting the chapel are distraught. ‘Catholic vote’ exists in Scotland “We are very displeased by the theft,” Franca Corrieri, a member of the association, said. “We have no I idea of who could have done it. The Independent report: Scottish Catholics more likely to vote Labour than any religious group police are carrying out a search. “This is an area that John Paul II vis- By Ian Dunn high of 28.7 per cent in the 2010 election.” cent now,” he said. “You could say that one thing that ited often, with his secretary and not The report also finds that, though Protestants in Eng- has shifted for Labour in that time is the perception they too many bodyguards. We feel very A NEW report has found strong evidence that land tend to be more likely than average to vote Con- are less concerned with solidarity for the poor, and you connected to him. After his death, his Catholics in Scotland vote with remarkable con- servative, there is a much higher chance of Scottish also have the rise of the SNP as well.” secretary, Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, sistency, proving the existence of a ‘Catholic Catholics voting for Labour than there is of any other Mr Deighan said there had clearly been a concerted came and told us that he wanted this vote’ here. person of any religious persuasion voting for any other effort by the SNP to woo Catholic voters, pinpointing church to become a sanctuary.” The London-based think-tank Theos published the party, and that effect persists to this day. Even with the Alex Salmond’s Cardinal Winning Lecture when he The ornate gold object contains a report Voting and Values in Britain: Does Religion existence of four party politics in Scotland, the report spoke ‘more supportively about Catholic schools fragment of material, stained with Count? this week and it revealed Scottish Catholics says ‘all groups are less likely to have voted Labour than we had ever heard from a politician.’ blood, which was purportedly taken were more likely to vote Labour than any other reli- compared to Catholics in 2010, while the latter are less Mr Deighan did warn, however, that such shifts in from the clothing worn by John Paul gious group in the country, as seen in voting patterns likely to have voted either Conservative (compared to religious voting seemed to lag a little behind, and cur- II after he was shot during the failed in the 2010 UK General Election. Church of Scotland/Presbyterian) or Liberal Democrat rent Scottish Government policies such as same-sex attempt on his life in St Peter’s (compared to those with no religion).’ ‘marriage’ may, in the long term, have more impact Square in 1981. It was donated to the Voting patterns than politicians realise. church in May 2011 by Stanislaw The report, which analysed data from the past 50 Evidence Dziwisz, a Polish cardinal. years from the British Election Survey and the British John Deighan, the parliamentary officer for the Scot- Political landscape The reliquary is one of just a handful Social Attitudes survey, discovered that even this tish Bishops, said the findings were fascinating, and Politicians of all parties in Scotland are likely to in the world that contains the blood of high level of support represented a tailing off from proved that a ‘Catholic vote’ did exist in Scotland. study the findings of the report closely ahead of the the Polish Pope, who died in 2005 and the height of support from Scottish Catholics for the “I think there are certainly several intersecting rea- independence referendum later this year. was succeeded by Pope Benedict XVI. Labour Party. In the 1997 UK General Election sons why there seems to be a particularly strong alle- Nick Spencer, Theos’s research director and co- The theft of the reliquary comes as nearly 80 per cent of Scottish Catholics voted giance to the Labour Party among Scottish Catholics author of the report, believes the report has serious the Vatican prepares to Canonise Labour, a figure that dropped to 65 per cent by the but a really big part of it is the idea that that party is the lessons for politicians. John Paul II, along with another for- 2010 election. Even this later figure was still double one which is most in solidarity with the poor,” he said. “It does show that there are clear and significant mer Pope, John XXIII, at a ceremony the level of support for the Labour Party among Eng- “And, of course, many people are very reluctant to alignments between various religious and political on April 27. lish Catholics. change their party once they first vote for them.” camps, of which politicians should be aware,” he “There is a clear geographical division in the lev- Mr Deighan also noted that, while the figures said. “At a time when mass party membership, polit- els of support for Labour amongst Catholics residing showed a very strong level of support among Scottish ical ideology and party tribalism are at a low ebb, we in Scotland and England,” the report says. “The dif- Catholics for the Labour Party, it has dropped signif- should pay attention to the big political values that ference on each occasion shows much higher levels icantly over the past 15 years. shape our voting behaviour.” of Catholic support for Labour in Scotland, ranging “One of the things I find interesting is the cultural shift from a low of 19.8 per cent in the 2001 election to a of support at 80 per cent for Labour in 1997, to 65 per I [email protected] 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 31 2014 What’s On A weekly guide to upcoming Church events SATURDAY FEBRUARY 1 Club, 7pm, St Michael’s I First Saturday Devotion to Church Hall, Parkhead, Glas- Our Lady of Fatima, 9.30am, gow. This month’s film is On a St Mary’s Cathedral, Edin- Clear Day (Cert:12A.) New burgh. members welcome with no commitment to come to every SUNDAY FEBRUARY 2 screening. Admission is free I Paisley Pro-life Group with tea and coffee served. meeting, 7pm, St Mirin’s I Aberdeen Newman Associa- parish hall, Paisley. Aidan tion meeting, 7.30pm, Cook of Care Not Killing is Bishop’s House, Aberdeen. A the guest speaker and he will talk will be given by Fr Stuart speak on ‘The Pressures for Chalmers on ‘The Connecting Euthanasia in Scotland and Principle: Conscience, Cre- around the World.’All wel- ation and Newman. come to attend. FRIDAY FEBRUARY 7 TUESDAY FEBRUARY 4 I Monthly hour for mums and I Concert, St Mary’s Cathe- mums-to-be, 7.30pm, Mis- dral, Edinburgh. Jeremy sionaries of Charity, Braid- Filsell, the internationally croft Road, Pollok, Glasgow. Clergy, choir and laity renowned virtuoso on organ The event begins at 7.30pm and piano, and Artist-in-Resi- and takes place on the first dence at Washington National Friday of each month in fine voice for the Cathedral, will perform a piano solo in Rachmaninov’s FRIDAY FEBRUARY 7-SUNDAY 2nd Concerto (in the transcrip- FEBRUARY 9 annual Celtic Mass tion for piano and organ, with I Eucharistic Weekend at the cathedral organist Simon Craig Lodge House of Prayer, Nieminski as ‘the orchestra.) Dalmally. Pope Francis has By Martin Dunlop a number of musicians and Jeremy will also be playing said: “Jesus gives Himself to singers, including members of Bach, Rachmaninov and us in the Eucharist, shares our GLASGOW’S annual Mass Glasgow’s St Mungo Singers, Dupre on the cathedral organ. journey and, in fact, makes of Celtic Roots was cele- led by Mgr Gerry Fitpatrick, Begins at 7.30pm, admission Himself the food that sustains brated at the city’s St Aloy- and members of St Mungo’s, is free with retiring collection our lives.” On this note, the sius’ Church, Garnethill, on Alloa group.

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