Scotland’s only gender clinic for minors is formally pausing the prescription of puberty blockers and hormone medications that are designed to facilitate gender transitions for children after a review commissioned by the English government questioned the efficacy of those practices. This announcement effectively ends the practice of providing sex-change drugs and hormone medications to children Read more
Posts Tagged ‘Scotland’
The place of Christians in public life
Thursday, March 16th, 2023
The past week has seen the nascent leadership contest to replace Nicola Sturgeon as First Minister of Scotland turn nasty. The Scottish National Party is a broad church, it turns out, but some of its members seem to be finding difficulty in accepting that its breadth of opinion extends to traditional forms of Christianity. The Read more
Thousands protest closure of national pilgrim centre
Thursday, August 15th, 2019More than 5000 people have signed a petition in protest at the closure of a pilgrimage centre at Scotland’s national Catholic shrine, the Carfin Grotto in the Motherwell diocese. The diocese has announced the centre, opened in 1996, will close at the end of September and all staff will be made redundant. The grotto itself, Read more
Anger as Church of Scotland decides not to divest from fossil fuels
Monday, May 27th, 2019More than 70 Church of Scotland delegates – including the outgoing moderator the Very Rev Susan Brown – have formally lodged their frustration at the decision of its general assembly not to divest from fossil fuels, with advocates describing Wednesday’s vote as “an embarrassing abdication of moral leadership”. Although the general assembly voted to “recognise Read more
Catholic beliefs could equate to hate crimes
Monday, March 25th, 2019
Catholic beliefs on gay marriage and abortion could be considered hate crimes in Scotland, say leaders of the Catholic Church there. Following last year’s review of hate crimes by retired judge Lord Bracadale, the church, in a submission to the Scottish government, asked for more discussion. The church submission suggests holding to Catholic beliefs, particularly Read more
Flying Vatican flag could be a criminal offence in Scotland
Thursday, October 4th, 2018
Flying the Vatican flag in a ‘provocative manner’ could be a criminal act in Scotland, according to a police document. Exactly what a “provocative manner” entails is not described. The supposedly restricted Police Scotland document obtained by the Scottish Herald on Sunday, using Freedom of Information legislation, lists restrictions on displaying a number of flags and Read more
Open letter to synod from 107 young Scots
Thursday, October 4th, 2018
In a open letter ahead of the Youth Synod, 107 hundred young Scots say it would be a mistake to downplay orthodoxy. 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 Read more
Scottish Catholic church opposes smacking ban
Monday, February 26th, 2018The Catholic church in Scotland’s opposition to a smacking ban has been met with anger by children’s rights campaigners. Plans to outlaw the physical punishment of children would “criminalise parents”, one of the church’s top officials is quoted as saying. He went on to say “it is not the role of the state to interfere” Read more
Catholic-Jewish school opens
Thursday, November 16th, 2017A Catholic-Jewish school campus has been opened in Scotland by Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis and Bishop John Keenan. It is the first joint faith Catholic-Jewish school in the world. Read more
Survey says Catholics could outnumber others in Scotland
Monday, October 2nd, 2017Annual Scottish Household Survey data suggest in seven years Catholics could become the largest faith group in Scotland. Over 10,000 people take part in the annual Scottish Government study, which is designed to give a general view of the country’s demographics. While 51 per cent of Scots don’t belong to any religion, just under 14 Read more