Donald Cameron, Conservative MSP for the Highlands and Islands, has said a red hat for a Scottish bishop would help the Catholic voice be heard in national debates.
Writing for The Times, the politician said a cardinal would be important ‘not just for those in our Catholic communities’, but for ‘society at large to have a range of authoritative voices from a variety of faiths, free from the constraints of party politics or other agendas.’
Cameron, who is a Catholic, listed the war in Ukraine, assisted suicide, gender identity, and child poverty amongst the issues requiring an authoritative Catholic voice.
“All of this will require a figure, with a public profile, to represent the church in national discourse and to lead Scotland’s Catholics through a difficult period ahead,” he said.
“Although each diocese has its bishop, the country needs a single, courageous Catholic voice.”
Cameron praised previous cardinals like Gordon Gray and Thomas Winning for being ‘fearless in expounding the Catholic position on the issues of the day.’