The declaration speaks of the shared faith and common ground that unites the Churches, saying "We recognise each other as brothers and sisters in Christ, and we wish to express our friendship and respect for one another as fellow Christians, citizens and partners in announcing the kingdom of God in our land.

"Since the World Missionary Conference (Edinburgh, 1910) and the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965), much has been done ecumenically to repair what was broken and to restore mutual respect and friendship.

"A great deal has been achieved spiritually, practically and affectively, through joint prayer among our parishes, various joint commissions, and the growing knowledge and appreciation of each other as Christian friends and fellow pilgrims."

The declaration written by senior figures from both Churches describes the Churches' shared beliefs, ‘rooted in the Apostles, Christ's first disciples.' It acknowledges a common heritage as Christians in Scotland.

"We recall with gratitude to God the earliest missionaries, our forebears in the faith, who lived and preached the Christian faith to our land," it says. "We recall those from that time who led and formed the Church, nurturing a society inspired by Christian values, including St Ninian, St Columba and St Margaret."

The declaration also recognises the divisions of the past, apologises for the hurt and harm caused and seeks to make amends.

"We recognise the hurt and the harm that our forebears did to each other in times past, and we repent and ask forgiveness of one other," the signatories said.

"We also recognise that, even in more recent times, much could have been said between us more kindly, written more magnanimously, and done more charitably to promote pardon, healing and friendship among Christians in our land."

Most Reverend Leo Cushley, Archbishop and Metropolitan of St Andrews and Edinburgh, said: "Returning to live in Scotland after many years abroad, I was soon struck by how far the people of the Catholic Church and the Church of Scotland have come along the path of friendship in these last decades.

"We have now spent 40 years working diligently to respect and understand each other, what we have in common, what still divides us. In the meantime, through prayer together and social action, we have also become friends, and have grown to appreciate each other as fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. I believe this is something to acknowledge and to celebrate."

Some divisions between the Churches remain challenging and more work will be needed on reconciliation and healing. Still, the Churches say that what they hold in common is far greater than what divides them, and they commit to continue working towards greater unity.

Sources

Daily Record

Scottish Catholic Media Office

Catholic Culture

The letter, signed by 107 Catholics aged between 18 and 35, was addressed to Scottish Archbishop Leo Cushley.

Cushley is one of the bishops attending the synod on young people which began this week in Rome.

The letter notes "In some of the discourse surrounding the synod ...a trend of suggesting that difficult aspects of the Church's teaching, in matters of morals and matters of faith, need to be downplayed, or even put aside ... to be relevant to people's lives and sensitive to their difficulties."

The letter notes some discourse implies priests who hold to orthodox teaching are "out of touch with the lives of lay people, and of young people especially."

The signatories say this line of thought "is utterly in contradiction" to their lived experience.

"What made us become and/or remain Catholic, against ever increasing cultural pressure, are those aspects of the Faith that are uniquely Catholic, not things that can be found in social clubs, in NGOs or in political parties. What matters is precisely the Church's claim to truth," the letter says.

The signatories also say young Catholics are "inspired by the heroic virtue espoused by the Church, in opposition to the cynicism and pessimism of postmodern culture."

It also has praise for "priests who proclaim orthodox teaching."

They say these priests are bringing Christ's light into their lives.

In their opinion, the synod needs to concentrate on helping share the fullness of the Faith with young lapsed Catholics who have not rejected Catholicism but what they call "a poorly-understood shadow of it."

Source

• Scottish Catholic Observer
• Catholic Herald
• Image: Catholic Standard

Archbishop Leo Cushley of St Andrews and Edinburgh has ordered the Edinburgh Circle of the Newman Association to cancel an event at which Professor Tina Beattie was due to speak this month.

The archbishop was acting on instructions from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

In a July letter which was only revealed last week, he wrote: "Professor Beattie is known to have frequently called into question the Church's teaching.

"I would therefore ask you to cancel this event, as it may not proceed or be publicised on any Church property in this archdiocese."

The archbishop also rebuked the association for organising a talk by theologian Joe Fitzpatrick, who has written a book critiquing original sin and seeking to make Genesis compatible with evolution.

Archbishop Cushley said that dogmatic teaching can't be brought into question on Church property.

Professor Beattie, Professor of Catholic Studies at the University of Roehampton, was prevented from undertaking engagements in Catholic institutions in two countries in 2012.

She was told one cancellation was because she had been a signatory to a letter in The Times in London arguing that Catholics could support civil same-sex marriage in good conscience.

On September 2, Professor Beattie wrote to Archbishop Cushley expressing her concern at his July decision, but has yet to hear a reply.

"You say that I am ‘known to have frequently called into question the Church's teaching'. Known by whom, in what context and with reference to which of my published works?" she queried.

"Never in my published writings or talks have [I] questioned any of the doctrinal mysteries of the Catholic Faith.

"On the contrary, I have consistently argued in defence of even the most frequently challenged doctrines of the Church."

She wrote that she believes that Catholics could enter a "more reasoned and nuanced public dialogue" about same-sex marriage than the hierarchy allowed.

The Edinburgh association has been offered a meeting with diocesan officials including Msgr Patrick Burke, one the archdiocese's vicars-general and formerly of the CDF.

Sources

• The Tablet
• The Guardian
• National Catholic Reporter
• Image: Reform Magazine