Scottish Catholic Observer

Archbishop Leo Cushley’s wise and measured words on the possible future need for two weddings for Scottish Catholic couples reads as necessary advice as opposed to a mere warning. It still rings quite a few alarm bells though.

The newly-installed Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh is referring to what may be required should the Scottish Parliament in his archdiocese pass the Scottish Government’s same-sex ‘marriage’ legislation. Countries that already have ‘two-tier’ wedding systems—the legal requirement for a civil marriage prior to any religious ceremony—include Italy and France.

Whether or not such a system would afford legal protection here for Catholic teaching that a marriage is a union between one man and one woman remains to be seen however. Equality activists, ironically seemingly bent on eliminating religious freedom and diversity, are likely to test any new marriage law in Scotland to its limits.

It is a sad day when the Sacrament of Marriage is not respected by our society. Will parents, as feared, have to take their children out of school class if same-sex ‘marriage’ is taught as a norm?

Any change to Scots law on marriage may well be the epicentre of other shocks to come in modern Scotland and our community must be prepared.

Pope Francis’ announced on Monday, the Feast Day of St Jerome, that April 27 next year will be the date for the Canonisations of Popes John XXIII and John Paul II.

The dates are surely no coincidence as Blessed John XXIII body, in its glass casket, lies beneath the altar of St Jerome which closes the right side aisle of St Peter’s Basilica. Add to this the fact that April 27 is Divine Mercy Sunday next year and Blessed John Paul II described Divine Mercy Devotion as the answer to the world’s problems and the message of the third millennium. He wrote an encyclical on Divine Mercy—devotion to the merciful love of God and the desire to let that love and mercy flow through one’s own heart—that arose from the apparitions of Jesus to St Mary Faustina Kowalska                      (1905-1938).

As the end of Year of Faith nears, how wonderful that not only Christmas and Easter lie ahead, but also this celebration honouring two late Pontiffs as saints. The fact that both Pope Francis and Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI will likely have roles in the Canonisations adds to the excitement.

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