News Briefing Britain and Ireland

The Bishops Conference of Scotland has adopted a new coat of arms. Designed by the head of the Lyon Court, one of the oldest heraldic institutions in the world, the new design features crossed croziers on a blue saltire field, representing St Andrew’s cross, with above a gold martlet; this refers to the mythical bird without feet that never lands, indicating constant effort and vigilance, but also the emblem of St Margaret of Scotland, the country’s secondary saint. The croziers represent the two ecclesiastical provinces of St Andrews and Edinburgh, and Glasgow. In the rear is a Celtic cross to symbolise the antiquity of the faith in Scotland. The current Lord Lyon King Of Arms is Dr Joseph John Morrow, a former chaplain of Glamis Castle and a student of ecclesiastical history. Dr Morrow was formerly a Freemason who served as Grand Master Mason, but stood down from all Masonic duties last year.

The first Syro-Malankara bishop for the UK, Kuriakose Mar Osthathios, was installed in India on 22 November, and his appointment was celebrated by the Syro-Malankara community on 4 December in Coventry. Dr Osthathios, who was already the church’s parish co-ordinator, will also be the church’s apostolic visitor for Europe. The Syro-Malankara Church is an Eastern Catholic Church based in Kerala, South India. It has been in full communion with Rome since 1930 and uses West Syriac, an Aramaic dialect, as its liturgical language. The Syro-Malankara diaspora in the UK has grown as a result of NHS recruitment of nurses, doctors and other healthcare workers from Kerala, and is estimated to amount to about 300 families.

The Charles Plater Trust has announced that applications will open on 16 January and close on 27 February for their 2026 Large Grants Programme, funding faith-inspired projects in England and Wales that promote social inclusion, lay leadership and the practical application of Catholic social teaching. The CPT was founded to support Catholic social teaching after the closure of Plater College, Oxford and aims to equip people to take on leadership roles tackling poverty, exclusion, economic inequality and environmental concerns in their communities, especially through educational social action and applied research engaged with public policy and practice.

The Catholic Herald has announced the appointment of Edward Barrett-Shortt, who comes from a background in Catholic digital media, as its new Editor in Chief. It will now be published four times a year.

The Tablet podcast The Wise and the Wherefores, hosted by assistant editor Ruth Gledhill and Sister Liz Dodd CSJP, is among those featured on the new Catholic Podcaster Network Substack, convened by Theresa Alessandro of All Kinds of Catholic podcast. She said that Pope Leo reminds us that Jesus “asks us to weave other nets: networks of relationships, of love, of gratuitous sharing where friendship is profound and authentic; networks where we can mend what has been broken, heal from loneliness, not focus on the number of followers, but experience the greatness of infinite love in every encounter,” stating that the aim is to build community around the podcasts.

The London FCJ Centre for Spirituality and EcoJustice and Columbans have invited teachers and chaplains for an online session of Advent input, prayer and reflection at 4pm on 15 December. Titled, “Looking ahead with Hope”, it will review November’s UN climate meeting in Brazil and look forward to Christmas. Cafod is offering Advent assemblies and Advent calendars for primary and secondary schools. Pax Christi England and Wales is offering children’s activities and prayers on peace and being peacemakers, leading up to Peace Sunday on 18 January.

The theme for Caritas Salford’s 2025 Advent campaign is shining a spotlight on homelessness, poverty and disadvantage across Greater Manchester and Lancashire and calling for donations to support its work. Caritas reports that demand for services is up 19 per cent this year. Caritas Westminster is running an Advent giving calendar to help parishes and schools across the archdiocese support local food projects “serving those most in need this winter”. The Caritas Social Action Network is running an Advent campaign, “16 days of activism to end gender-based violence”.

The Confraternity of Pilgrims to Rome has announced formal recognition of the Francigena Britannica from London to Canterbury. This is an historic 2000-kilometre pilgrim way from Canterbury to Rome. The extended route adds 140km, starting at Southwark Cathedral and passing Greenwich and Aylesford Priory. Phil McCarthy, head of the Hearts in Search of God project, described the announcement as “an important moment for walking pilgrimage in England and Wales, part of the rediscovery and revitalisation of this ancient practice in the UK”. He said Catholic pilgrims can now “follow the Via Francigena from our capital city to St Peter’s in Vatican City”.

LGBT+ Catholics Westminster and Catholics for Aids Prevention and Support/Positive Faith sponsored a World Aids Mass on Saturday 6 December, at the end of the week marking World Aids Day. Preaching at the Mass at London’s Farm Street Jesuit Church, Cardinal Timothy Radcliffe OP said:  “The Kingdom is the triumph of love over hate and communion over isolation. It is entry into the infinite joy of God who is, as Bob Marley sang, One Love. Aids shines a bright light on how we are one and how this is denied. Jesus sends out his disciples to gather us into this union of heart and soul. He said, the harvest is plentiful but the labourers are few.” The following day, Cardinal Radcliffe took possession of his titular church in Rome, the Chiesa dei Santi Nomi di Gesù e Maria, on Via del Corso in the centre of the city. The Baroque church was built in the 17th century, originally for discalced Augustinians.

Two former nuns have been convicted of physically abusing children at two homes run in Scotland by the Sisters of Nazareth. Carol Buirds, 75, formerly known as Sr Carmel Rose, was found guilty of 13 charges relating to the period 1975 to 1981, when she repeated struck children, forced them to eat soap and to wrap themselves in urine-soaked sheets. The other former nun, Eileen McElhinney, 78, known as Sr Mary Eileen, was found guilty of striking children, including with a hairbrush and her feet, and subjecting them to cold showers. A third woman, former support worker Dorothy Kane was found guilty of further violent offences and with imprisoning a child in a cupboard. The offences took place at Nazareth House in Lasswade, in Kilmarnock and in Dunbar. The three women were bailed by Sheriff Iain Nicoll who called for social work reports before sentencing.

The team leading excavations at the former Mother and Baby Home in Tuam, Co Galway has found more infant graves. According to the Office of the Director of Authorised Intervention, Tuam, the dig has confirmed a second burial area.“This area corresponds to part of the area labelled ‘burial ground’ in historical documents referenced by the Mother and Baby Homes Commission of Investigation,” the update stated. A total of 11 remains have been recovered so far in the excavation which began in July, All the remains to date are those of infants who were buried in coffins.

Bishop of Kilmore Martin Hayes, liaison to the Irish and the Northern Ireland prison service, has asked for prayers to be said at Masses this weekend for prisoners and for their families. In a message ahead of Gaudete Sunday, Bishop Hayes highlighted the plight of prisoners who he said are “vulnerable to suffering from acute mental health difficulties”. “While people who caused harm must take responsibility for their actions, express regret, make compensation and genuinely try to live a better life – at the same time – every person has an indelible dignity, and should always be treated as such.”

Bishop of Derry Donal McKeown has said in a pastoral letter that the Church “has weathered many storms throughout history, yet Christ has never abandoned us”. Underlining that in the years ahead, pastoral areas and parish collaboration will become increasingly important in how the diocese works and plans sustainably, the bishop referred to new paid and volunteer roles supporting faith development and sacramental preparation in parishes and schools. He said these ministries “help ensure that our communities are formed in faith and supported pastorally and practically”.  

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