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The Herald Scotland
21-04-2025
- General
- The Herald Scotland
Hundreds gather for Glasgow Mass to celebrate the life of Pope Francis
More than 400 attended the service, organised at short notice as news of the pontiff's death spread. Glasgow Archbishop William Nolan said that he hadn't been expecting to preach about the pope, who seemed to be getting better after a bout of ill-health. But he was not surprised by the numbers who came to honour the man who led the Catholic Church worldwide, such was the affection he was held with in Scotland. Archbishop of Glasgow William Nolan conducts the Mass at St Andrews Catholic Cathedral in Glasgow (Image: GT) Archbishop Nolan said: 'I wasn't sure how I would react when the Pope died. I feel a sense of loss, but also a sense of blessing. He's been a blessing to the church, and he's been a blessing to the world. 'It helps that it comes at this time of year – Easter – with the sense of the resurrection and new life and returning home. 'People (of Glasgow and across Scotland) were very supportive of the Pope. They were very keen on his message of social justice and his support for immigrants and the poor, and seeing the poor as fellow human beings and treating them with dignity.' He added: 'That message struck a chord with the Catholics of Scotland.' More than 400 people packed into the cathedral for the service (Image: GT) Vatican official Cardinal Kevin Farrell announced Francis's death on Monday morning, saying he had 'returned to the home of the Father'. The Pope's death at the age of 88 came after he emerged from his convalescence on Easter Sunday to bless the thousands of people in St Peter's Square in Vatican City. He had recently resumed some official duties after being treated in hospital for pneumonia. Though the news only broke at 9am, a message posted on social media calling the faithful to celebrate his life at Glasgow's catholic cathedral was shared more than 30,000 times by the time the service started at lunchtime. While there was sadness among the congregation, there was also joy that a man they had looked up to for 12 years had joined God after a rich and fulfilling life. People came from cross Glasgow (Image: GT) Linda Fagan, from Glasgow, was one who attended the service. She said: 'He was a Pope of our time. He had so much compassion for everyone, regardless of their faith or anything about them. 'He loved people. He also wasn't scared to speak to politicians. He didn't confront them in an angry way, he just reminded them of God's message – which is love and compassion, and how we should always look after those who were not well off. 'To be here, and to celebrate the life of a man who has gone on a journey back to God is special. He was a man of God.' Nicky Campbell, also from Glasgow, said that Pope Francis had 'given to his last' He said: 'After watching him yesterday (on Easter Sunday) he was clearly struggling, but had given his last time to the people. 'He was quite a rebellious Pope, compared to the previous one. He went out to the people to feed the homeless and pray with them. 'He was not just 'Vatican-centric'. He was for the people of the world.' Anne Tunney travelled from Alexandria, West Dunbartonshire, to attend the Mass (Image: GT) In one of his first public pronouncements as pontiff, Francis declared: 'Who am I to judge?' in response to a question about homosexuality. Anne Tunney, from Alexandria in West Dunbartonshire, had travelled to Glasgow after hearing about the specially-arranged Mass. She said that Pope Francis she had been inspired by Pope Francis after reading his book, and that the comment on homosexuality had resonated with her. She said she would pray for the next pontiff to be of the same mind. READ MORE: Speaking to the congregation during the service, Archbishop Nolan had said that it was clear the people of Scotland had grown close to the Pope during his 12 years leading the Catholic Church. He said: 'He was loved y so many people - not just Catholics, but non-Catholics also. And his passing is a cause of sadness. 'But the fact that he died on Easter Monday reminds us that death is not the end. Yes, there is sadness at our loss but there is a moment of fulfilment as his life comes to its end.'
BBC News
03-03-2025
- BBC News
Diocese of Galloway ordered to pay man £473,000 over priest abuse
A Roman Catholic diocese has been ordered to pay a man more than £470,000 after he suffered "horrific" sexual abuse at the hands of a priest almost 50 years man, who has not been identified, was targeted by the priest when he was five years old while at school in Irvine in Ayrshire and again while he was a boarding school pupil in the Highlands aged 14 to Court of Session said the Diocese of Galloway was "vicariously liable" for the abuse, which has left the man unable to work since ordered the diocese to pay a total of £473,250 for the impact it has had on his life. The priest, who has not been identified, died in 2021 and had been convicted of sexual for the man, also unidentified for legal reasons, raised an action against the church after the man was diagnosed with complex post traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) stemming from his experiences in a written judgement, Lord Clark said the abuse had a "profound effect" on his life. The diocese was the subject of the action because the priest was within its area at the time of the diocese covers Dumfries and Galloway, East and South Ayrshire, and parts of North man was first targeted by the priest aged five or six while a pupil at St Mark's Primary in same priest targeted the boy again in the late 1970s whilst he was a boarding school student at Fort Augustus Abbey Secondary School in the man had several jobs throughout his life, but felt unable to continue in employment from 2012 developed CPTSD, originally diagnosed as severe PSTD, at around that William Nolan, who was once Bishop of Galloway but is now Archbishop of Glasgow, gave evidence to court heard how he wrote a letter to the man shortly after the conviction of the priest - Lord Clark wrote about how this letter sought to "assist the pursuer".In his evidence, the archbishop referred to the now revamped safeguarding guidelines adopted by the Catholic diocese had argued the causes of the man's psychiatric injuries were attributable to other "adverse" life events. 'Horrific sexual abuse' But Lord Clark wrote that his experiences while a primary school pupil were "serious and damaging".In his judgement, he said: "This is a complex case in which there was serious and damaging sexual abuse of the pursuer when he was very young at primary school."He then suffered further abuse at secondary school, with sexual elements, and of a physical and emotional nature."That later abuse lasted longer than the first and may well, based on the medical literature, have had a profound effect on his life."He added: "But the devastating nature of the horrific sexual abuse at St Mark's when he was a young child was the more prominent cause."Lord Clark originally awarded the man a total of £627,000 for the abuse carried out on him while he was a pupil at St Mark' Lord Clark wrote that the man had already received £50,000 compensation for the abuse he had suffered from another church organisation and a representative of a person who had abused him whilst he was at Fort Augustus Clark wrote that the man had also received £153,749.67 in respect of the abuse perpetrated at St Mark' Clark said that £78,749.67 of came from the priest's estate which was paid in February 2024 and interim payments of £75,000 which had already been paid by the concluded these payments meant that the final sum which was due to be handed over was £473, Clark wrote: "The impact on the pursuer and the harm from which he continues to suffer cannot adequately be addressed merely by an award of damages but it is hoped that, this matter now having been dealt with, the pursuer can move on with his life."
