New Harry SCIAF’s Alistair Scotland’s joint Schnitker series Dutton: Scots Catholic/Jewish on Scotland’s help Nepal one school campus Dioceses. year after quake. is blessed. Page 20 Pages 10-11 Page 3 No 5670 VISIT YOUR NATIONAL CATHOLIC NEWSPAPER ONLINE AT WWW.SCONEWS.CO.UK Friday May 6 2016 | £1 BURMA’S FIRST CARDINAL ABOUT TO VISIT SCOTLAND By Ian Dunn expected to speak about minority rights, global BURMA’S first cardinal is to poverty, and respect for life visit Scotland next week to and the integrity of creation. promote religious freedom. He is a lifelong advocate Cardinal Charles Maung for those in poverty, stating: Bo, Archbishop of Yangon “I want to be a voice for the and the first cardinal from voiceless.” Burma (Myanmar), is famous “I want to speak more on for speaking out on religious behalf of the marginalised and liberty in his homeland. the poor, who have no privi- “Religion teaches us to leges and facilities,” he added. love and care for one “The whole world and the another,” he said before he whole global people should left for Scotland. “As we live participate in solving poverty. virtuous lives we are to show The poor and the rich are love and respect to others. there, not because we do not The goodwill of religion is have the natural resources, not the capacity to live in har- because there is not enough mony with different faiths food… but because of the poor and religions.” distribution.” His three-day visit to Scot- As Burma transitions to land is being hosted by Mis- democracy after decades of sio Scotland, Aid to the military rule, he said the Church in Need, Christian Solidarity Worldwide and SCIAF. The cardinal is also Continued on page 3 Rallying call: Stand up for religious freedom I Pupils invited to ACN Scotland youth rally on June 16 By Daniel Harkins opportunity for the youth of this country to stand up and be counted and say we will not sit back as Daesh SCOTLAND’S Catholic school pupils will [ISIS] eradicate Christianity and other minority rally at Carfin Grotto this summer to stand in groups from the Middle East. Come and join us in solidarity with persecuted Christians. June to learn about the forgotten human rights issue The youth rally is being organised by the Scottish of the day.” office ofAid to the Church in Need (ACN) and is the Last year’s rally was welcomed by Pope Francis, second such event, following on from the inaugural who sent a message to the young people taking part gathering last year which brought more than 1000 ensuring them of his ‘spiritual closeness to them as PIC: TOM EADIE pupils together at Carfin. they seek to grow and be renewed in their Faith in… Bishop John Keenan of Paisley and Bishop Joseph solidarity with all Christians who suffer persecution at St Ninian’s High in Giffnock, said she was sur- Registration closes on Friday June 3 2016. Those Toal of Motherwell will be in attendance at the June throughout the world.’ prised to hear that more Muslims are killed by Islamic unable to attend the event will be able to follow the 16 event, as will an as yet unconfirmed speaker with Humza Yousaf, Scottish Government minister for terrorist groups than Christians. rally via Twitter @ACN_Scotland and using firsthand knowledge of Christian persecution. The Europe and International Development, was among ACN works in 130 countries, helping Christians #ACNYouthRally. focus of the day will be to raise awareness and the speakers on the day and told those gathered in the who are persecuted, oppressed or in pastoral need. encourage those attending to pray, spread informa- grotto that he accepted ACN’s invitation to speak at According to the International Society for Human I For more information, contact Michael J Robin- tion and take action in support of the persecuted the rally because ‘for me, as a Muslim, I wouldn’t be Rights, 80 per cent of all religious persecution in the son, ACN communication executive in Scotland, Church. able to be a Muslim actually if its wasn’t for the kind- world is directed at Christians. on 01698 337 472 or 07908 033878. ACN is calling upon attendees to show the Scottish ness of Christians,’ adding that ISIS and al Qaeda “We are very fortunate in Scotland to live in a Government that young people care about the right to don’t ‘represent any faith let alone Islam; they don’t country where we can freely live out our faith,” religious freedom. Each school taking part will invite represent any humanity, any shred of decency.’ Michael Robinson,ACN Scotland’s communications students to petition the Scottish Government to pro- FrAmbrose Ohene, a Holy Ghost father, explained executive in Scotland, said. “However, Christians in mote religious freedom around the world, calling on the origin of Nigerian terrorist group Boko Haram areas with severe religious intolerance pay a heavy the government to ‘stand with ACN Scotland in pro- and the deprivation and colonial history that led to its price for their faith including physical torture, rape, moting religious freedom’through prayer, solidarity, creation, and Fr Samer Nassif from Lebanon empha- imprisonment, slavery, discrimination in education and interfaith dialogue. sised how widespread persecution is, pointing out and employment, and even death.” “ACN Scotland are very excited to be holding our that in Saudi Arabia it is forbidden for the more than Schools must register in order to attend the June second youth rally,” Lorraine McMahon, ACN’s one million Christians to practice their faith openly. rally and registration needs to be completed online head of operations in Scotland, said. “The rally is an Speaking at the rally, Mirabel Lawson, an S5 pupil at: www.acnuk.org/events.php/421/youthrally2016 SCO, 19 Waterloo Street, Glasgow G2 6BT I tel 0141 221 4956 I fax 0141 221 4546 I e-mail [email protected] 2 PICTURE NEWS SCOTTISH CATHOLIC OBSERVER FRIDAY MAY 6 2016 Diaconate ordinations in Rome, Lectorate at home By Daniel Harkins the future priests may one day become bishops themselves. BISHOP Joseph Toal of The Bishop of Motherwell said Motherwell ordained three that becoming a deacon was a men to the diaconate on Sun- ‘complete offering of one’s life to day at the Pontifical Scots the Lord’ and he pointed out that College in Rome. the ordinations were taking place Paul Denney and Bernard in the Jubilee Year of Mercy. Mournian from Motherwell Dio- “Since the first description of cese and Jonathan Whitworth deacons in the Acts of the Apos- from Paisley Diocese (middle tles the diaconal ministry has right) made a public Profession of always been linked closely with Faith in front of 200 people on acts of charity for the benefit of May 1, including Bishop Stephen those most in need, and it incor- Robson of Dunkeld (right, second porates a keen awareness of and from the right) and clergy from willingness to carry out the corpo- Paisley and Motherwell Dioceses. ral and spiritual works of mercy,” Bishop Toal gave the homily he said. “We pray that the new during the Mass and highlighted deacons will find inspiration for aspects important to consider in their ministry in this Year of ones vocation. Mercy, and that others may bene- The Rite of Ordination fol- fit from the love and goodness lowed, including the vows of obe- offered through them in the name dience, celibacy and an and person of Our Lord and sav- examination of the candidates. iour Jesus Christ. After the new deacons were “I ask God’s blessing on those vested with their diaconate stole about to be ordained deacons— and dalmatic, the bishop presented Jonathan, Paul and Bernard—and them with the Book of the pray that their ministry may be Gospels and they were greeted by fruitful, and inspire and sustain their fellow deacons. them as they continue to prepare Deacon Whitworth said his for priesthood.” ordination was a deeply humbling Elsewhere, in St Mary’s Col- experience. “I really felt going in lege Oscott in Birmingham, Dun- to Mass this morning, as we kled seminarianAndrew Marshall processed in, really supported and took another step on the journey lifted by the prayers of the peo- to priesthood as he received the ple,” he said. ministry of Lectorate along with Bernard Mournian reflected nine of his fellow seminarians before his ordination on his time (bottom). The ministry was con- as a seminarian and his ‘happy ferred by Bishop Nicholas Hud- memories’ in Rome. He spoke son, auxiliary bishop of about the ‘truly amazing experi- Westminster, during Mass in the ence’ of having a private audience college chapel and among the with Pope Francis at the Scots many concelebrants at the Mass College last month “The gift of was Fr Michael Carrie, Dunkeld’s these years in Rome has been an vocations director. During the incomparably precious privilege Mass, Bishop Nicholas gave a as I continue in my vocation,” he bible to each of the seminarians said. “I cannot thank the Lord saying: “Take this book of Holy enough for giving me the oppor- Scripture and be faithful in hand- tunity to study and live in this ing on the Word of God, so that it wonderful place, which I will may grow strong in the hearts of always consider as my second his people.’ home. For it was here that I trav- Lectorate is one of two min- elled not knowing the fullness of istries given to seminarians during joy that awaited me—the begin- their time of formation.