The Scottish bishops met in Salamanca last month. The future of the Church in Scotland was obviously on the agenda. Bishop Robson of Dunkeld highlighted the gap between self-identification as Catholic and actual practice, and Archbishop Cushley introduced a hefty tranche of parish closures. However, he says his projections mean that the archdiocese could count on having 30 or so diocesan clergymen in 2035. Given the age of most priests, an actuarial assessment of this statement would be most interesting. Moreover, it does not take into account the pace of change. In the past five years, the world has experienced the Arab Spring, an increase in militant Islam, the re-emergence of a belligerent Russia, the resignation of a pope, and the election of a new, dynamic one.I am baffled by how Arc