Scottish Catholic Observer

Building a lasting legacy, isn’t that what we all feel drawn to do in this life? Be it building a career and or building a family; be it continuing your family name or business; be it building a home or building on the Faith of our fathers?

How intuitive and in touch with global society it is then for Pope Francis to call on dioceses throughout the world to build a lasting legacy for the Year of Mercy in bricks and mortar, wood or mud, where need arises. During the vigil before Divine Mercy Sunday, the Pope asked each diocese for ‘a structural work of mercy’ by saying ‘how beautiful it would be if in every diocese there were a structural work of mercy: a hospital, a home for the aged or abandoned children, a school where there isn’t one, a home for recovering drug addicts.’

The Holy Father has lifted Divine Mercy Sunday, established by St John Paul II on the first Sunday after Easter, to new heights this year in the Year of Mercy. Last Sunday he said that mercy is an open book that we must write in, and that we must be Apostles of Mercy. The challenge is not just to forgive those who attack and persecute Christians abroad, such as those involved in recent acts of terrorism, however. Our challenge is also to forgive those who would wrong us at home—such as minority secularist groups calling for an end to Catholic education after a survey of less than 1300 Scots suggested a decline in those identifying as religious, although not in those identifying as Catholic. We must show mercy to those pushing for LGBTI rights in such a way that undermines the rights of Catholics and Catholic schools. We must have mercy for those who think they are doing right by introducing a named person for every Scottish child.

Forgiving those against Catholic values does not mean that we no longer stand up for those values, however. That is why The Bishops’ Conference of Scotland’s pre Scottish election advice to parishioners calling for Catholics to think on the Scottish Parliament gaining control over the regulation of abortion before they vote was so appropriate. And bishops’ call for Catholics to become increasingly involved in politics by considering joining a political party was intriguing too.

No doubt some with an axe to grind against the Scottish Church will twist the meaning of this to suggest Scotland’s bishops would have Catholics vote for or join one political party in particular, but that is clearly not the case, and never has been.