The Bishops of Scotland have concluded their annual gathering at the Royal Scots College in Salamanca. The gathering coincided with Salamanca’s patronal feast, the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, celebrated across the city with a week of festivities.
Prayer and Reflection
Prayer was at the heart of the bishops’ days together. They celebrated Holy Mass each day and prayed the Divine Office together, entrusting the people and needs of the Church in Scotland to the Lord.
A day of retreat, led by Fr John Carroll, Rector of the Royal Scots College, offered further time for prayer and spiritual renewal, allowing the bishops to reflect together on their ministry and mission.
Working Sessions
The bishops held working sessions on a wide range of pastoral and practical matters concerning the life of the Church in Scotland.
A significant part of the discussion focused on the ongoing consultation on diocesan boundaries. Drawing on feedback received through diocesan reports, the bishops considered proposals for the next phase of consultation and committed to sharing these proposals as soon as possible with their own dioceses.
Evangelisation remained a key focus, with discussion on the latest Synodality Report and proposals to establish a National Evangelisation Commission.
The bishops were united in their support for parents in Aberdeen who are seeking a new Catholic secondary school in the city.
Safeguarding reports were received, together with an update on SCIAF’s projects in Malawi.
The bishops considered a number of developments in the Church’s liturgical life, including ongoing updates to the Funeral Rite and the Liturgy of the Hours.
Viability reports for a Catholic museum and archives were also considered, with a focus on finding a suitable location to preserve and make accessible this important part of the Church’s heritage.
Other matters included the formation and support of our seminarians, the planned National Family Conference in Coatbridge and preparations for a Rome meeting on the subject of Amoris Laetitia.
Communications and Evangelisation
A dedicated in-service day on media communications and strategy was led by Paloma García Ovejero, former Deputy Director of the Holy See Press Office and now Director of Communications for Mary’s Meals International.
The sessions explored how the Church should communicate with clarity, confidence and creativity, recognising that good communication is inseparable from the work of evangelisation and must remain at the forefront of the Church’s mission.
Burgos
The Bishops’ Week ended with a visit to Burgos, where they were greeted at the magnificent cathedral by Archbishop Mario Iceta. They concelebrated Sunday Mass with the monks of the Benedictine monastery of Santo Domingo de Silos, and called at the village of Caleruega, the birthplace of Saint Dominic.
The gathering offered the bishops a welcome opportunity to pray, reflect and work together, renewed in their shared responsibility to proclaim the joy and hope of the Gospel.
The bishops and General Secretary express their sincere thanks to Father John Carroll, Rector of the Royal Scots College, and to all the College staff for their warm welcome and generous hospitality.
