Tributes are pouring in for the former Bishop of Galloway Maurice Taylor who passed away at the age of 97.
Bishop Maurice, who was the oldest living Catholic bishop in Britain, retired more than 50 years after being ordained as a priest in 1950. He grew up in Lanarkshire and served in the Army Medical Corps at the end of the Second World War.
The Catholic Church in Scotland announced Bishop Maurice died at a nursing home in Kilmarnock on Wednesday.
Bishop Hugh Gilbert, President of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland, said: “I was saddened to learn of the death of Bishop Emeritus Maurice Taylor and offer heartfelt condolences and the promise of my prayers for the repose of his soul to the clergy and laity of the Diocese of Galloway, whom he served so fondly.”
The Archbishop of Glasgow, Most Rev William Nolan also joined in tributes for Bishop Maurice, described his ministry in East Kilbride as “a very active and vibrant parish, inspired by Vatican II”.
He continued: “As a Bishop he had an energy that few could keep up with and as a retired Bishop he was very active in the diocese until recent years supplying for Clergy . He managed to find time to write four books, which displayed his sharp mind and keen sense of humour. May his soul rest in peace.”
Despite retiring in 2004, Bishop Maurice continued to celebrate Masses and deliver talks in the diocese of Galloway.
A date for his funeral is yet to be published.