Bishops in the Scottish Catholic Church have written to parishioners to encourage them to find hope beyond the pandemic in the resurrection. 

With the country under lockdown and facing an uncertain future because of coronavirus, they admitted it could feel "hard to find hope in the present situation". 

However, they drew inspiration from the message of Easter as they vowed that the nation would recover and "life will get better". 

"As we celebrate Easter this year we cannot escape the suffering inflicted upon us by the Covid-19 virus," they wrote.

"The pandemic is afflicting the whole world and we pray for all those who have caught the virus, their loved ones and those caring for them.

"Our lives are greatly restricted and on Easter Sunday, the holiest day of the Christian calendar, we will not be able to go to church. It is hard to find hope in the present situation, but as Christians, we know that the risen Lord is our hope.

"His suffering death and resurrection give us hope that we will recover, that life will get better and that our nation will feel the peace and love of the risen Christ." 

They went on to say that the "ingenuity and the generosity of humanity" was another source of hope, as they thanked frontline workers, particularly those in healthcare. 

"We especially give thanks for the commitment and compassion of our medical professionals and we pray that all their decisions will respect the lives of the most vulnerable, entrusted to their care," they said.

"We pray too for the researchers around the world working to develop a vaccine and for our political leaders who must make difficult decisions."