Pope Francis Not Expected to Offer Public Mass During His November Visit to Scotland

The Scottish bishops’ conference made the clarification after media reports circulated in the United Kingdom over the weekend claiming that the pope would preside over an open-air Mass in Glasgow, as his predecessors Benedict XVI and John Paul II did in Bellahouston Park in Glasgow in 2010 and 1982 respectively.

The Vatican has made no official announcements regarding the trip, however the Vatican has announced plans to partner in an event bringing together scientists and leaders of the world’s religions ahead of COP26.

“Faith and Science: Towards COP26” will take place on Oct. 4 at the Vatican. The event is being organized by the British and Italian Embassies to the Holy See.

Following Pope Francis’ colon surgery on July 4, the Scottish bishops' conference issued a statement that the bishops were “delighted to hear that he does hope to attend and would be glad to meet with them in Glasgow.”

COP26 was originally scheduled to take place in November 2020, but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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About 120 heads of state are expected to attend the climate conference this year, according to the BBC.

President Joe Biden, Prince Charles, Greta Thunberg, and climate-envoy John Kerry are among the anticipated attendees.

“Scotland’s Catholic bishops have welcomed the prospect of a meeting with Pope Francis when he attends the COP26 Conference in Glasgow in November,” the spokesperson for the Scottish bishops said.

“While many pastoral, ecumenical and interfaith gatherings would be desirable while he is with us, time constraints, sadly mean such a full programme will not be possible.”

Courtney Mares is a Rome Correspondent for Catholic News Agency. A graduate of Harvard University, she has reported from news bureaus on three continents and was awarded the Gardner Fellowship for her work with North Korean refugees.