Scottish Catholic Observer

“You can please some of the people some of the time, all of the people some of the time, some of the people all of the time, but you can never please all of the people all of the time.”

Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 4, 1861

In this re-launch edition of Scotland’s national independent Catholic newspaper in the Year of Faith it seems fitting to begin with a historic political quote and end with a current religious one. After all, we live in an information age, and in a society where Faith and politics are so often seen to be at odds with each other—domestically over marriage and adoption, for example, and internationally in crises such as Syria.

Today marks a new beginning in the 128-year history of the SCO serving the broad Catholic community in Scotland with the help of the laity, parishes, priests, the religious life, bishops and the Church.

Today it is vital that Catholic voices have a national platform and are heard, therefore the SCO now aims to include an even wider range of informed voices on key issues.

The SCO also aims to select and present the local, national, international and Vatican news in a fair and accurate way while including a host of features tailored to the Catholic community.

This is your national Catholic newspaper and today ‘the Holy Father is joining all Scotland’s Catholics in their efforts to rekindle the faith and hope at this time.’ (Full message on page 1)

As our Church prepares for a day of prayer and fasting tomorrow for Syria, and the installation of Archbishop-elect Leo Cushley on September 21, these seem like the proper words to end on.

“Jesus teaches us another way: Go out. Go out and share your testimony, go out and interact with your brothers, go out and share, go out and ask. Become the Word in body as well as spirit.”

Pope Francis 2013