The Bishops' Conference of Scotland (BCOS) is an episcopal conference

Episcopal Conference

In the Roman Catholic Church, an Episcopal Conference, Conference of Bishops, or National Conference of Bishops is an official assembly of all the bishops of a given territory...

 for Roman Catholic bishops

Bishop (Catholic Church)

In the Catholic Church, a bishop is an ordained minister who holds the fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders and is responsible for teaching the Catholic faith and ruling the Church....

 in Scotland

Scotland

Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...

 and is based in Airdrie

Airdrie, North Lanarkshire

Airdrie is a town within North Lanarkshire, Scotland. It lies on a plateau roughly 400 ft above sea level, and is approximately 12 miles east of Glasgow city centre. Airdrie forms part of a conurbation with its neighbour Coatbridge, in the former district known as the Monklands. As of 2006,...

. The conference is primarily made up of the presiding bishops

Diocesan bishop

A diocesan bishop — in general — is a bishop in charge of a diocese. These are to be distinguished from suffragan bishops, assistant bishops, coadjutor bishops, auxiliary bishops, metropolitans, and primates....

 of Scotland's eight diocese

Diocese

A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...

s as well as bishops who have retired.

The president of the conference is Cardinal Keith Michael Patrick O'Brien

Keith Michael Patrick O'Brien

Keith Michael Patrick O'Brien is a Scottish Cardinal and the Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh of the Roman Catholic Church. O'Brien is currently the only living Cardinal from Scotland....

.

The Conference is also a member of several international organisations including the Council of European Bishops' Conferences and the Commission of the Bishops' Conferences of the European Community

Commission of the Bishops' Conferences of the European Community

The Commissio Episcopatuum Communitatis Europaeae or Commission of the Bishops' Conferences of the European Community is an organisation of Roman Catholic bishops in Europe to examine European Union policy and legislation from a Catholic perspective...

.

Agencies

The BCOS is organised into several agencies. These are: The Commission for Doctrine and Unity, The Communications and Press and Media Relations Office, The Commission for Catholic Education and Scottish Catholic Education Service, The Heritage Commission as well as some other offices.

Member Bishops

• Archdiocese of Saint Andrews and Edinburgh
  • Cardinal Keith O'Brien
    Keith Michael Patrick O'Brien
    Keith Michael Patrick O'Brien is a Scottish Cardinal and the Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh of the Roman Catholic Church. O'Brien is currently the only living Cardinal from Scotland....
    
     (President)
• Archdiocese of Glasgow
  • Archbishop Mario Conti (Vice-President)
• Diocese of Paisley
  • Bishop Philip Tartaglia
    Philip Tartaglia
    The Right Reverend Philip Tartaglia is the fourth Roman Catholic Bishop of Paisley, Scotland. He has been described as a conservative in religious and moral issues.-Early life:...
    
     (Episcopal Secretary)
  • Bishop Emeritus John Mone
    John Mone
    The Right Reverend John Aloysius Mone was the third Roman Catholic Bishop of the Diocese of Paisley.-Early life:John Mone was fourth of the six children of Arthur Mone and Elizabeth Dunn...
    
    
• Diocese of Argyll and the Isles
  • Bishop Joseph Toal
    Joseph Toal
    Joseph Anthony Toal is a Roman Catholic bishop. He is the current Bishop of Argyll and the Isles in Scotland.Born in Roy Bridge, Inverness-shire, Scotland on 13 October 1956, he was ordained a priest of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Argyll and the Isles at St Columba's Cathedral in Oban on 10...
    
    
  • Bishop Emeritus Ian Murray
    Ian Murray (bishop)
    Ian Murray is the Bishop Emeritus of the Diocese of Argyll and the Isles, Scotland.-Early life:Murray is the eldest of the four children of John and Margaret Murray. He was educated at St. Machan's Primary School and St. Ninian's High School in Kirkintilloch and the National Junior Seminary of St...
    
    
• Diocese of Motherwell
  • Bishop Joseph Devine
    Joseph Devine
    Joseph Devine is the Roman Catholic Bishop of Motherwell in Scotland.He was educated at St Ninian's High School, Kirkintilloch, St. Mary's College, and St. Peter's College, Cardross. He was ordained priest on 29 June 1960 at the Pontifical Scots College in Rome. He received his Ph.D...
    
    
• Diocese of Dunkeld
  • Bishop Vincent Logan
• Diocese of Aberdeen
  • Bishop Hugh Gilbert
  • Bishop Emeritus Peter Moran
• Diocese of Galloway
  • Bishop John Cunningham
    John Cunningham (Bishop)
    John Cunningham is a Roman Catholic priest who is the current Bishop of Galloway.John Cunningham was born in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland on 22 February 1938. He was educated at St Mary's College, Blairs and St. Peter's Seminary, Cardross. Later he was a student of the Scots College, Rome...
    
    
  • Bishop Emeritus Maurice Taylor
    Maurice Taylor (Bishop)
    Maurice Taylor was the Roman Catholic Bishop of the Diocese of Galloway, Scotland from 1981 until 2004.Born in Hamilton, Lanarkshire he attended St Cuthbert's Primary, Burnbank, before going on to St...
    
    

See also

• Roman Catholic Church in Scotland
• Religion in Scotland
  Religion in Scotland
  Christianity is the largest religion in Scotland. At the 2001 census 65% of the Scottish population was Christian. The Church of Scotland, often known as The Kirk, is recognised in law as the national church of Scotland. It is not an established church and is independent of state control. However,...
  
  
• Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales
  Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales
  The Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales is the episcopal conference of the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales.-About:...
  
  

External links

• Official website
• Bishops' Conference of Scotland webpage. GCatholic.com website