Glasgow: Archbishop stresses importance of religious freedom

Archbishop Tartaglia at Fr Werenfried Memorial Mass image: Paul McSherry

The Archbishop of Glasgow has told youngsters from schools in Scotland about the importance of standing up for religious freedom, saying that around the world Christians suffer the most persecution.

Speaking last Monday at a memorial Mass for Aid to the Church in Need's founder, Father Werenfried van Straaten, Archbishop Philip Tartaglia also paid tribute to the charity’s work for oppressed Christians.

Taking part in the service at St Bride’s Catholic Church in Cambuslang, near Glasgow, were children from St Bride’s Primary School, St Ninian’s High School in Giffnock, John Ogilvie High School in Hamilton, Cardinal Newman High School in Bellshill and St Ambrose High School in Coatbridge.

Quoting research showing that around the world Christians suffer 80 percent of religious hatred, Archbishop Tartaglia added: “In the developed world, religious liberty, especially the liberty to act in accordance with your faith and conscience, is seriously undermined even in the most sophisticated societies like our own.”

Archbishop Tartaglia made the comments during his homily, in which he also said: “Who could have guessed that Father Werenfried’s work carried out by Aid to the Church in Need could have become so relevant and so vital in today’s world?”

He added: “Aid to the Church in Need is a sign and an instrument of the indomitable spirit of the Church which, with love and humility and acts of charity and courage, looks evil in the face, refuses to be intimidated, seeks to help those who suffer for their faith in Jesus Christ.”

The archbishop reported on last month’s Synod of Bishops which he attended in Rome, where he said fellow bishops expressed concern about aggression towards Christians and the need to redouble efforts towards inter-religious dialogue and peace-building.

Aid to the Church in Need's UK Director Neville Kyrke-Smith received a cheque for £10,500 raised by St Bride’s parish, Cambuslang, split between schooling for seven Christian girls in Jordan and pastoral work carried out by Holy Family parish, Gaza. St Ninian’s High School also handed over a cheque for £500 to support the charity's work.

Mr Kyrke-Smith, recently back from a fact-finding and project-assessment trip to Russia, quoted Metropolitan Kirill of Stavropol, saying: “There are no borders to charity – no boundaries or divisions – as we saw with Christ in the way he cared for them. And the support of Scottish Catholics for the suffering Church knows no boundaries either.”

After the Mass, Lorraine McMahon, the charity's Head of Operations in Scotland, said she was very impressed by the “spread of ages” represented at St Bride’s, adding: “For me, the important thing is that, in the Year of Faith, people see how Aid to the Church in Need is supporting those who strive to live their faith, often in very difficult circumstances.”

Aid to the Church in Need’s Scottish Secretary Dr John Watts highlighted the witness of faith encapsulated in the Mass, saying: “It was, as the annual Father Werenfried Memorial Mass always is, a wonderful night – very spiritual, a great team effort.”