THE Catholic Bishops of Scotland have offered their prayers and support for Pope Leo XIV following the announcement today that he is to undergo surgery in the coming days.

ONE of the first things I noticed when myself and my colleague Andrea entered the Vincentian Fathers House in Grudë e Re—and briefly escaped the searing heat of an Albania summer—was a simple fledgling house plant, tied to two broom handles to assist its growth. It was an image that made me realise that this place is somewhere that is rooted in love, care and support and it’s an image that leans into the famous phrase uttered by St Vincent De Paul himself, ‘love is inventive

“SISTER Lulë, who leads the Franciscan Sisters community that runs the children’s centre, called me one day to say: ‘Father, we are very worried. We don’t know if we can continue. If we don’t receive help, we may have to close the centre.’ Their finances were becoming impossible, the bathrooms needed replacing as did the heating system.

“AS I’m talking to you, for the last three nights we have been under heavy fire from missiles and drones and, unfortunately, another 50 people have died in the capital, Kyiv. It’s not an easy situation, but people appreciate our work and our presence is very precious to them. Belonging to God and belonging to the people are the most important things for a missionary, especially in a situation like this.”

VERITABLY, we have both been pastoral guinea pigs this year. The majority of priestly formation takes place in the seminary structure—for us, in the Scots College in Rome. However, this year, the Bishop’s Conference of Scotland has implemented a new phase of training, taking place around the half-way point of our studies.