‘Bigot’ slur against CARDINAL KEITH NEW SCIAF DIRECTOR Patricia Chalé O’BRIEN challenged by the Catholic meets the charity’s board, community and First Minister Scotland’s bishops and SCIAF staff Alex Salmond. Page 3 at the Glasgow office. Pag e 3 No 5492 YOUR NATIONAL CATHOLICwww.sconews.co.uk NEWSPAPER SUPPORTS THE YEAR OF FAITH Friday November 9 2012 | £1 ‘We will work out New Evangelisation together with the help of the Holy Spirit’ ARCHBISHOP Philip Tartaglia of Glas- gow, the newly elected president of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland, has told the country’s Catholics that the New Evan- gelisation will ‘change our lives.’ “We will need a change of heart, something like what happened to the Apostles at Pente- cost,” Archbishop Tartaglia said at Sunday’s national Year of Faith Mass. Support for Year of Faith There was standing room only at Sunday’s Mass at Our Lady of Good Aid Cathedral in Mother- well to officially launch the Year of Faith pro- gramme. Bishop Joseph Devine of Motherwell led the celebrations, welcoming the Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Antonio Mennini, Cardinal Keith O’Brien, Archbishop Emeritus Mario Conti and many members of the Bishops’ Con- ference of Scotland to the celebration. Torch passes to next generation The congregation benefited from Archbishop Tartaglia’s experience of attending the recent Synod of Bishops on New Evangelisation in I The Bishops’ Conference of Scotland elects new standing committee after a decade Rome. He spoke of the need for the Church to be in a ‘permanent state of mission’ and of his By Ian Dunn 75th birthday—and as the Year of Faith began and (From left) Bishop Joseph Toal of Argyll and the Isles hopes for the Year of Faith. the New Evangelisation started to be imple- has been elected vice president of the Bishops’ Con- ference of Scotland, Archbishop Philip Tartaglia of “We will work this out together with the help ARCHBISHOP Philip Tartagalia of Glasgow mented—he decided ‘it was time not to put myself Glasgow has been elected president, and Bishop Hugh of the Holy Spirit,” he said. became president of the Bishops’ Conference forward for re-election, to leave it to my brother Gilbert of Aberdeen is the new Episcopal secretary The national Year of Faith Mass focused of Scotland as the younger generation of bishops and myself to select a new leadership PIC: PAUL McSHERRY specifically on education and the archbishop Scotland’s bishops naturally begins to take on team’ but that he has had a ‘fascinating period of (below) directed much of his comments to leadership roles within the Scottish Church. service in the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland.’ teachers and young people. On Monday, Archbishop Tartaglia was elected While no longer president of the conference, Privilege “Our Church is alive… your presence young peo- president, Bishop Joseph Toal of Argyll and the and taking more of a backseat in its business, the Archbishop Tartaglia said it was a great privilege ple is an eloquent sign of that,” the archbishop said. Isles was elected vice president and Bishop Hugh cardinal remains the country’s most senior to have been chosen to lead. “The world is wounded but God loves it Gilbert of Aberdeen was elected Episcopal secre- Catholic clergyman and will also continue to serve “I am honoured to have been elected president of still… Young people, do not be afraid to be tary. Replacing Cardinal Keith O’Brien, Arch- in his present capacity as Archbishop of St the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland and grateful Catholic. Do not be afraid of your Faith. You bishop Emeritus Mario Conti and Bishop Joseph Andrews and Edinburgh. to my brother bishops for the trust they have placed have been given a great gift.” Devine respectively, the new appointees will each in me,” he said. “I would like to pay tribute to Car- initially serve a three-year term. Passing the torch dinal O’Brien and Archbishop Conti as outgoing I Continued on page 2 The three appointments represent a formalisation president and vice president for all they have done Cardinal’s blessing of a handover process within the Bishops’ Con- for the Bishops’ Conference over the past 10 years.” Cardinal O’Brien, who is standing down after a ference that has been triggered by numerous, pre- Bishop Toal said that he, Archbishop Tartaglia decade as president, told The Scottish Catholic vious and imminent, retirals among the existing and Bishop Gilbert would do their utmost to guide Observer this week that he is confident the future of Scottish hierarchy. the Church in Scotland wisely. the conference and the Church is in safe hands. Archbishop Conti stood down as Archbishop of “I look forward to working with Archbishop “I am sure our new leadership team—Arch- Glasgow this year after more than two decades of Tartaglia and Bishop Gilbert and serving the whole bishop Tartaglia, Bishop Toal and Bishop service, Bishop Devine has reached the mandatory Church in Scotland,” he said. “I am happy to serve Gilbert—will ensure the influence of our Church age for Episcopal retirement, 75, and Cardinal the Bishops’ Conference in the capacity of vice pres- for all our members, and society at large, in these O’Brien will reach that milestone in March ident and grateful that I have been asked to do so.” stimulating times and in what lies ahead,” he said. next year. Bishops Peter Moran, Vincent Logan Bishop Gilbert also said he was privileged to be “Obviously Archbishop Tartaglia was the natural and Ian Murray have all stood down in the past chosen. “I am honoured to have been elected Epis- choice as new president. I have great admiration three years. copal secretary and look forward to working with for all he has achieved—in his seven years as Archbishop Tartaglia and Bishops Toal and Archbishop Tartaglia and Bishop Gilbert in the years Bishop of Paisley—and is now beginning to Gilbert will now make up the ‘standing commit- that lie ahead,” he said. achieve as Archbishop of Glasgow.” tee’ of the Bishops’ Conference, which can act on PIC: TOM EADIE The cardinal said, as he was approaching his behalf of the conference in emergencies. I [email protected] SR RITA DAWSON WHO IS JESUS? supports call for School students an inquiry into the invited to answer Liverpool Care in SCO’s Year of Pathway Faith contest ADVENT CONTEST ADVENT Page 7 CARE PALLIATIVE Page 6 visit www.sconews.co.uk 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 THE SCO SUPPORTS THE YEAR OF FAITH SCOTTISH CATHOLIC OBSERVER Friday November 9 2012 New Evangelisation can bring about real change in our lives Archbishop Tartaglia and Cardinal O’Brien speak of new Pentecost at national Year of Faith launch Mass I Continued from page 1 (Right) Young people carry the Scottish Youth Cross into Our Lady of Good Aid Cathedral, Motherwell at the start The archbishop added: “The world is confused and of the Year of Faith Mass. (Below right) Apostolic Nuncio distracted. In spite of the challenges, I ask you not Archbishop Antonio Mennini, Bishop Joseph Devine, Archbishop Philip Tartaglia and Cardinal Keith O’Brien to be afraid.” concelebrate the Mass. (Below) Clergy, teachers and He went on to say that young people were both pupils pose for a photograph after the Mass the recipients and the agents of evangelisation, and PICS: PAUL McSHERRY were ‘very effective evangelisers of each other.’ The archbishop also called on the clergy not to be ‘shy’ in teaching the Word of God. Walking together “Don’t dumb it to some human wisdom or [sug- The closing of the Holy Father’s Apostolic letter gest] that you can get there by some other means for the Year of Faith was read at the Mass. [than the Church],” he said. “May this Year of Faith make our relationship with Christ the Lord increasingly firm, since only United front in Him is there the certitude for looking to the Bishop Devine welcomed the bishops, clergy and future and the guarantee of an authentic and last- laity to the celebration, mentioning in particular ing love.” Pope Benedict XVI said. the ‘Herculean effort’ of Cardinal O’Brien to Archbishop Mennini also spoke at the Mass in attend the Mass during a period of ill health. Motherwell. Following a spontaneous round of applause in “All of us can ask ourselves how to carry out the support of Cardinal O’Brien, His Eminence spoke [Year of Faith and New Evangelisation] pro- of the need for ‘a new Pentecost.’ The cardinal, gramme the Holy Father indicated to us,” the making light of his health concerns, made refer- Apostolic nuncio said. ence to recent controversy while referring to God’s He told Scottish Catholics everyone would most important commandment, love. ‘walk together through this Year of Faith’ and “It is that Gospel of the love of all peoples that wished all a ‘good walk.’ we still hand on today—a love of male and female, After the Mass, the nuncio met with teachers a love of black and white, a love of life in the and education officials. womb and life on the death bed, a love of people The religious and lay Catholics at the Mass were of whatever sexual orientation,” he said. “But in represented in a candle light procession prior to the sharing the love of Christ we also share the respon- start of Sunday’s celebration, led by the Scottish sibility of learning and handing on the teaching of Youth Cross.