Coalition aims NEW YEAR POPE FRANCIS to prevent messages from urges media loosening of Scotland’s to find room ABORTION LAW. archbishops. for good Page 3 Page 5 news. Page 6 No 5653 VISIT YOUR NATIONAL CATHOLIC NEWSPAPER ONLINE AT WWW.SCONEWS.CO.UK Friday January 8 2016 | £1 Bishop William Nolan prays for peace during this Year of Mercy By Daniel Harkins TOO often humanity tries to resolve conflict with bullets and bombs, Bishop William Nolan said in his letter for the Day of Prayer for Justice and Peace. The letter was sent out to every Bishop-elect Brian parish in Scotland ahead of the January 3 Day of Prayer. Bishop McGee is riding on the Nolan, the Bishop of Galloway, is president of the Justice and Peace crest of the new wave Commission of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland. of the Bishops’ “The Church begins each New Year with a day of prayer for peace,” Conference of Scotland Bishop Nolan (below) writes. “Yet each New Year peace seems as as his appointment elusive and as far off as ever. The names of the war zones may change, completes the hierarchy but conflicts remain, and war and terrorism never seem to go away. “All too often we see humanity try to resolve conflict with the bullet PIC: ANTHONY MacMILLAN and the bomb. All too often we see property destroyed, communities shattered and innocent human life snuffed out.” The bishop writes that both Pope Paul VI in 1965 and Pope Francis in Pope Francis names the new 2015 have made the same plea 50 years apart: “No more war.” “We all feel that plea in our heart, and every time we see death and destruction we feel the senselessness bishop for Argyll and the Isles of human conflict and our desire for peace increases, along with our frustration at being unable to bring By Ian Dunn sea!” he said. “It’s an area I already love. I have national seminary at Scotus college. The bishop-elect peace to a troubled world,” he writes. holidayed and trekked throughout the diocesan has also always felt a connection to Argyll and “Women and men from all nations, POPE Francis’ announcement that Mgr Brian boundaries from my earliest childhood to the present the Isles. cultures, backgrounds, and religions McGee is to become the new bishop of Argyll and day and it is a truly beautiful part of the world, so I “I grew up in Greenock daily enjoying beautiful have in their hearts a deep longing the Isles Diocese came as a late Christmas present know that won’t be a chore.” views of the Cowal Peninsula, Bute and Arran and I for peace. It is the frailty of our to Scotland. The bishop-elect concelebrated the He said he knew the Isles and hoped ‘to be a good still savour them from my parish in Port Glasgow fractured human nature that means 10am Mass at St Columba’s Cathedral in Oban listener,’ adding that, while he knew he had ‘much to today,” he said. “I have made several pilgrimages to we are unable to achieve it.” with Mgr James MacNeil, administrator of learn about the diocese of Argyll’ he was very excited Iona. I already look forward to living within what Argyll and the Isles Diocese, before the about becoming part of an ‘ancient and proud heritage will be my new diocese and I’m sure that I will I Continued on page 5 announcement on Monday December 28. whose roots stretch back almost one and a half naturally come to love its people.” “It was very humbling, and indeed frightening, to thousand years preceding even its spiritual father, St be informed by the Papal nuncio that Pope Francis Columba.’ “I am also mindful of the diocese’s rich Congratulations had nominated me to be the new bishop of the Gaelic character and I, although not yet a Gaelic Bishop John Keenan of Paisley was among the first Diocese of Argyll and the Isles,” Mgr McGee, 50, the speaker, will endeavour to promote its rightful use in to congratulate the bishop-elect. vicar general of Paisley Diocese and parish priest of the worship of God,” the bishop-elect said. “Many congratulations to Bishop-Elect Brian on Holy Family Parish, Port Glasgow, said. “However, In this Year of Mercy, the bishop-elect said he was his appointment by Pope Francis to the See of Argyll after reflection and prayer I now face this mission ‘inspired by this Jubilee’s ethos’ and hoped ‘to be a and the Isles,” Bishop Keenan said. “I am not at all with quiet but definite confidence.... Experience has bishop that has an unshakeable trust in God’s mercy.’ surprised that he has been chosen for this important taught me that positively answering God’s invitations office... He is loved and respected dearly by his own is always to our own advantage.” Ties parishioners in Holy Family, Port Glasgow, who will The diocese has been vacant since April 2014 “I cannot deny that it is a wrench for me to leave the miss him.” when Bishop Joseph Toal became the Bishop of Diocese of Paisley,” the bishop-elect said. “This was Bishop Keenan added that Argyll and the Isles is Motherwell. Bishop-elect McGee will be ordained at where I wanted to minister from my youth and I have getting ‘a pastor who will give his all to serving them St Columba’s Cathedral at a date to be confirmed, always been very happy there. I would like to thank with justice and who will lead them with energy and and his ordination as bishop will bring the hierarchy Bishop John Keenan, and his predecessors, as well vision’ and that he ‘will be a valued member of the of Scotland back up to full strength. as the clergy, religious and lay faithful of Paisley Bishops’ Conference which will benefit from his Diocese for their encouragement over many years.” fresh perspective and thoughtful discernment.’ Stepping up Born in Greenock, he was ordained in 1989 and Mgr MacNeil also offered a warm welcome to his The new bishop said he was very aware that he is has served in several parishes in Paisley diocese new bishop. going from the geographically smallest diocese in including St Charles, Paisley, St Joseph’s, Clarkston, Scotland to the biggest. and latterly Holy Family, Port Glasgow. He also had I Exclusive interview with the bishop-elect, page 3 “I’m ready for a lot of travelling over land and a two-year spell as spiritual director of the former 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 POPE AT CHRISTMAS SCOTTISH CATHOLIC OBSERVER FRIDAY JANUARY 8 2016 (Clockwise from top left) Pope Francis greets the crowd after delivering his Christmas blessing Urbi et OrbI (to the city and the world) from the central balcony of St Peter's Basilica on Christmas day; The Pope kneels in prayer as he celebrates Christmas Eve Mass in St Peter’s Basilica; Carla Maria Valenzi, 6, wears a Christmas hat in St Peter’s Square after Pope Francis' Christmas Eve Mass; The Holy Father uses incense as he visits the Nativity scene at the conclusion of Christmas Eve Mass Pope focuses on peace in a world shaken by violence POPE Francis used his Christmas message with grave repercussions for the entire region.’ are most vulnerable, especially child soldiers, Doubt and indifference, he stressed, should be to tell the world peace for the whole world He also prayed that recently approved agree- women who suffer violence, and the victims of left to skeptics who ‘by looking to reason alone, is possible through Christ. ments would bring a quick end to the wars human trafficking and the drug trade,” he went never find the truth.’ There is no room for the “Only God’s mercy can free humanity from afflicting Syria and Libya, two countries ravaged on to say. indifference which reigns in the hearts of those the many forms of evil, at times monstrous evil, by war for several years. He also prayed that the As the Church celebrates the Holy Year of unable to love for fear of losing something,” he which selfishness spawns in our midst,” the Pope international community would find ways to end Mercy, the Pope said mercy is the ‘most precious said. “All sadness has been banished, for the said on Christmas Day. “Where God is born, atrocities in Iraq, Yemen, Congo, Burundi, South gift which God gives us’ and that Christians ‘are Child Jesus brings true comfort to every heart.” hope is born. Where God is born, peace is born. Sudan and Ukraine. called to discover that tender love of our heav- The day after Christmas, the Feast of St And where peace is born, there is no longer room Victims of terrorism were also in the Holy enly Father for each of us.’ Stephen, the Pope again addressed a crowd in St for hatred and for war.” Father’s thoughts and prayers as he remembered The bells of St Peter’s Basilica pealed at mid- Peter’s square telling them the path forward from Heightened security around St Peter’s Square the victims of the Russian airliner bombed in day, just as they did late the precious night when Christmas can be found in the martyrdom of St did little to dampen the spirits of an estimated Egyptian airspace and terrorist attacks in Beirut thousands packed the church for Christmas Stephen, especially in his transforming forgive- 50,000 people attending the Pope’s solemn and Paris; Bamako, Mali and Tunis, Tunisia.