Scottish Catholic Observer

“The Bishops’ Conference of Scotland recognises and respects the result of the Scottish referendum, that Scotland should remain a part of the United Kingdom, and commends all those who participated in what was a was a passionate and sometimes partisan debate,” the bishops say in a statement release a few minutes ago.

“The vast majority of Scots engaged with the referendum and it is our hope that we can all now cooperate for the benefit of our nation in future.

“We urge the Catholic community to continue to engage in public debate and decision-making and, in doing so, to uphold the meaning and importance of the Christian message. May God bless Scotland.”

Prior to the ballot, Archbishop Leo Cushley of St Andrews and Edinburgh (above left) said independence referendum had been conducted in a ‘robust but cordial’ spirit that should continue after it was over. Bishop John Keenan of Paisley said the people of Scotland had been ‘highly nervous’ about the outcome.

“May God guide us and bless us in whatever choice we make in good conscience,” Archbishop Philip Tartaglia of Glasgow (above right), president of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland, said before the vote when he encouraged Scottish Catholics to take part.

The Moderator ‪of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland is to lead a national service in St Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh on Sunday morning focusing on the theme of reconciliation.

In the run up to the referendum the Christian community expressed concern about the secularisation of Scotland, a country still struggling with issues such as sectarianism.

In June Pope Francis said independence had to be ‘handled with care.’

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Pic: Paul McSherry