Catholic Church silent as Scotland prepares to vote on independence
The Scottish referendum on independence has resulted in probably the longest election campaign in recent democratic history. Most polls indicate a win on September 18 for Better Together, the...
View ArticleWhat to look out for in 2015
As 2014 draws to a close one naturally looks forward, but one’s hopes of a very happy new year should be muted. The big event coming in 2015 for Catholics is the Family Synod in October. This Synod has...
View ArticleI support the scrapping of Trident but I can’t support the SNP
Last year an umbrella organisation of anti-nuclear weapons groups put out a statement called Rethink Trident, calling for Trident to be scrapped. As one surveys the list of people who signed up to this...
View ArticleScotland’s Catholic pariah
The Catholic politician Jim Murphy, who last weekend resigned as leader of the Scottish Labour Party, was one of the biggest casualties of the Scottish National Party’s electoral surge. The nationalist...
View ArticleThe holy warrior with a baton
Many years ago, the composer James MacMillan was called a “red Clydesider” by The Daily Telegraph. This annoyed him at the time, because he isn’t from Glasgow – he grew up in rural Ayrshire. The “red”...
View ArticleBishops criticise ‘intolerant’ MP who seeks end to Catholic education
A recording of an MP planning how to end Catholic education in Scotland has been condemned as “chilling” by the Scottish bishops. According to a report in the Scottish Catholic Observer, remarks by...
View ArticleScotland’s messianic age
An old joke sees a Jewish man accosted by some burly types on one of Glasgow’s rougher streets. “You a Catholic or a Protestant?” demands Thug A. The man, panic in his voice, insists: “I’m a Jew!” Thug...
View ArticleHow my Ash Wednesday cross went viral
Wednesdays in Parliament are always hectic, with committees, Prime Minister’s Questions and journalists vying for interviews. Therefore, on Ash Wednesday this year I decided to go to 8am Mass at...
View ArticleCatholic Church silent as Scotland prepares to vote on independence
The Scottish referendum on independence has resulted in probably the longest election campaign in recent democratic history. Most polls indicate a win on September 18 for Better Together, the...
View ArticleWhat to look out for in 2015
As 2014 draws to a close one naturally looks forward, but one’s hopes of a very happy new year should be muted. The big event coming in 2015 for Catholics is the Family Synod in October. This Synod has...
View ArticleI support the scrapping of Trident but I can’t support the SNP
Last year an umbrella organisation of anti-nuclear weapons groups put out a statement called Rethink Trident, calling for Trident to be scrapped. As one surveys the list of people who signed up to this...
View ArticleScotland’s Catholic pariah
The Catholic politician Jim Murphy, who last weekend resigned as leader of the Scottish Labour Party, was one of the biggest casualties of the Scottish National Party’s electoral surge. The nationalist...
View ArticleThe holy warrior with a baton
Many years ago, the composer James MacMillan was called a “red Clydesider” by The Daily Telegraph. This annoyed him at the time, because he isn’t from Glasgow – he grew up in rural Ayrshire. The “red”...
View ArticleBishops criticise ‘intolerant’ MP who seeks end to Catholic education
A recording of an MP planning how to end Catholic education in Scotland has been condemned as “chilling” by the Scottish bishops. According to a report in the Scottish Catholic Observer, remarks by...
View ArticleScotland’s messianic age
An old joke sees a Jewish man accosted by some burly types on one of Glasgow’s rougher streets. “You a Catholic or a Protestant?” demands Thug A. The man, panic in his voice, insists: “I’m a Jew!” Thug...
View ArticleHow my Ash Wednesday cross went viral
Wednesdays in Parliament are always hectic, with committees, Prime Minister’s Questions and journalists vying for interviews. Therefore, on Ash Wednesday this year I decided to go to 8am Mass at...
View Article