Scottish Catholic Observer

That awesome mixture of excitement and reverence will stay with us the rest of our lives but we cannot afford to let it only be a memory.

The Papal visit was a blessing but it also placed upon us a responsibly. We must heed the Holy Father’s words and in the wake be the best Catholics we can be.

For there can be no doubt the challenge is greater than ever. So many of the things we hold dear about our country are changing, or rather being changed by those who know and care nothing for God.

As the Bishops of Scotland point out this week, marriage is an ancient part of human life yet many of our politicians are seeking to change this most ancient institution so it loses all meaning.

There can be little disagreement that so many of the problems we face as a society, divorce, violence social unrest, can be traced back to the collapse of the traditional family. Yet many seek to break down that family even further.

Furthermore it is clear from this incident and others that many hold the Church in deep contempt.

There are forces in this country that would joyfully extinguish the light of the Church. Already the process of trying to push the Church out of the public square by demonising Catholics and indeed all Christians as lunatics and bigots, has already begun.

It is sad to say, but it does not look likely to stop any time soon either.  The past saw much persecution and abuse for Scotland’s Catholics and the future may not differ.

Indeed our descendants may regard this as a golden age for Scottish Catholics, when the abuse we face is mainly confided to the ravings of drunken yobs and the articles of smug newspaper columnists.

But it is not all doom and gloom. For we can look back to that glorious day one year ago when the Pope was among us and take heart from that.

The strength of our Faith is still mighty when we are united and we must use that strength to fight for our religious liberties to be protected.

A good starting point is the Scottish Government’s public consultation on marriage between homosexuals. The bishops have asked that the Catholics of Scotland respond in force and tell the government what marriage truly is. If we do so there is still a chance marriage may be saved in Scotland.