Welcome
Last Updated on Friday, 20 August 2010 15:24 Written by Administrator Wednesday, 22 April 2009 11:28
Welcome to the Website of the Diocese of Paisley
With the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland and throughout the UK we eagerly anticipate the State Visit of Pope Benedict XVI in September.
“Getting to know Pope Benedict”
Pope Benedict received some very negative publicity when he delivered a lecture in the University of Regensburg, Germany, on 12 September 2006. In this lecture he quoted from a 14th century author who was critical of Islam, and as a result Pope Benedict was unfairly accused of being himself harshly critical of the Muslim faith.
Following the criticism of his words, the pope unreservedly apologised for any offence he had caused, and made it quite plain that he was not using the quoted words as his own. He also has warmly welcomed Muslim and other religious faith leaders at various meetings and discussion forums organized by the Vatican
As Pope, Benedict XVI continues to ensure that the Catholic Church is actively involved in interreligious dialogue with all the major world faiths, and he personally marks the major feasts of these religions with words of support and letters of encouragement
As the readings this Sunday speak powerfully of the universal dimension of God’s call, it might be appropriate to allow Pope Benedict to guide us in our acceptance and acknowledgment of God’s presence leading and guiding these other faiths. The pope does not advocate a spirit of relativism among the world’s religions, but neither does he reject anything that is good and true in them.
During his visit to Great Britain, the Pope will meet and pray with interfaith leaders, and so affirm that the Catholic community is committed to ongoing dialogue in interfaith relations. It is important that as Catholic Christians of the 21st century, we have a mindset which sees other religions not as the enemy, but as vehicles for God’s presence in the world.
Weekly Prayer Intention
We pray that the need for interreligious dialogue in Great Britain today be recognized as a central aspect of our commitment to living out the Gospel message
Further resources in preparation for the Pope's visit can be found on the websites below:
The Diocese of Paisley now has a Facebook page which can be reached by clicking on the link below.
