UNITED KINGDOM
The Times

The number of people who attend church services in Scotland is declining at an alarming rate but that does not mean there is no need for what religion offers

These are not heartening days for the church. In Rome, Cardinal Pell, one of Pope Francis’s most senior advisers, is charged with sexual assault, bringing the aura of abuse uncomfortably close to the Holy See. In Scotland, Lady Smith’s inquiry into sexual abuse will hear evidence against institutions whose names — Daughters of Charity of St Vincent de Paul, Sisters of Nazareth, Good Shepherd Sisters, and Christian Brothers — should by rights speak of the Christian values of love and sanctuary, but will instead be explaining why children in their care may not have been safe from assault.

Against this background, a survey of religious attitudes in Scotland shows a steady decline in attendance. Whether the…