Scottish Catholic Observer

Bishop Hugh Gilbert of Aberdeen has described the election of Pope Francis from Argentina as ‘refreshing’ for the Catholic Church in Scotland.

In a pastoral letter to parishes in his diocese at the weekend, Bishop Gilbert (above) highlighted that Pope Francis is the first Holy Father to come from Latin America, the first Jesuit Pope and the first Pontiff from a ‘Religious’ order in over 150 years. The Aberdeen bishop also focused on the profession of chastity, poverty and obedience in his letter.

Bishop Gilbert, himself a Benedictine monk and former abbot of Pluscarden Abbey, describes how the election of our new Pope could provide a positive example for the crisis-hit Catholic Church in Scotland.

“At the heart of it is a sense of things being broken: things like personal integrity, trust in our bishops and priests, the credibility of our Faith and teaching,” Bishop Gilbert writes.

“All of these things have seemed to collapse, and behind our sadness or anger there is a great cry inside us for them to be given back to us. A cry for a new purity and honesty, for the Gospel, for Christ.”

The bishop concludes his message to parishes by calling on Catholics to recommit to their Faith and leave dishonesty and bitterness behind.

“Let us follow Christ, who is taking us so powerfully this Lent and Easter through His Cross to the Resurrection,” the bishop added.