POPE Francis has made his mark on the Roman Catholic hierarchy by naming 19 new cardinals, including the Archbishop of Westminster - but left Scotland out of the roll of honour following the scandal over Cardinal Keith O'Brien.
The London-based new cardinal, Vincent Nichols, said he was "deeply moved" after being named among eight new cardinals selected from across Europe. He will now be eligible to enter a conclave to elect a future Pope.
However, Pope Francis's first raft of senior appointments since he took over the leadership of the Church places further pressure on Cardinal O'Brien to resign.
He is the most senior Catholic in Scotland, despite stepping down as Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh last year after admitting to sexual misconduct.
Meanwhile, Archbishop Nicols is to be formally appointed on the Feast of St Peter in Rome at the next consistory of cardinals on February 22.
The Liverpool-born Archbishop, 67, had been among those tipped for the role after being sidelined under the tenure of previous pontiff, Pope Benedict, because he was seen to be overly liberal.
He has recently been appointed to an influential Vatican committee, an indication that his outlook chimes more with Francis.
The announcement came during Pope Francis' Angelus in St Peter's Square in Rome yesterday.
A spokesman for the Catholic Church in Scotland said Archbishop Philip Tartaglia, president of the Bishops' Conference of Scotland, would congratulate Archbishop Nichols on behalf of Scotland's 600,000 Catholics tomorrow during a scheduled visit to Glasgow. But, referring to calls for Cardinal O'Brien's resignation, he added that Scotland's position has not altered.
He said: "Archbishop Philip Tartaglia is sending congratulations to Archbishop Nichols, his counterpart as president of the Bishops' Conference of England and Wales. By coincidence Archbishop Tartaglia will welcome Archbishop Nichols to Glasgow on Tuesday for a pre-arranged liaison meeting and will congratulate him in person then. Scotland's position has not changed as a result of today's announcement."
In addition to Cardinal O'Brien, the British Isles now has three Cardinals, including Ireland's Sean Brady.
Cardinal O'Brien stayed away from the papal conclave in Rome last March which elected Pope Francis.
Last week, Hugh McLoughlin, who writes for a number of Catholic periodicals, said: "I'd hope for his sake that he has the good grace to submit his resignation.
"It would be best the best thing for himself, for the Catholic Church in Scotland and the church universally."
However, senior sources within the Catholic Church in Scotland have cast doubt on both the willingness and practicality of him stepping down.
Pope Francis has won praise for his down-to-earth attitude, shunning the papal limousine to travel on the bus, cooking his own meals and bedding down in a modest Vatican city hotel instead of the official Vatican apartments during last year's papal conclave.
He has said he wants a church that "is poor and for the poor" and that aim appeared to be reflected in his choice of cardinals.
The 19 were drawn from Italy, Germany, Britain, Nicaragua, Canada, Ivory Coast, Brazil, Argentina, South Korea, Chile, Burkina Faso, the Philippines and Haiti.
Archbishop Chibly Langlois, 55, is the first cardinal from Haiti, the poorest country in the western hemisphere, where according to the World Bank some 80% of the rural population lives in abject poverty
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