Scottish churches struggle for clergy cover after visa rate hike

A spokesperson for the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland said: “Changes to the immigration system by the UK government are causing significant difficulty for the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland and for the communities that the Church serves.

“Catholic parishes, without the support of visiting priests, would be unable to provide the level of service to the local community that it does at present, such as Masses, weddings, funerals, comforting the bereaved, tending to the sick and needy, and many other works of charity including food banks and soup kitchens.”

The Church of Scotland also urged the government to reverse the decision. The Very Rev Dr Susan Brown, convener of the Church’s World Mission Council said she had been “shocked” by the “retrograde step”.

She added: “The benefit of the time spent in the UK is not just to the individual or to our churches but whole communities. Having the opportunity to have a minister from one of our partner Churches overseas brings a wealth of learning to people about faith and about global issues.