THE Catholic Church in Scotland has been dealt a major blow after one of the country's leading clerics suffered a heart attack.

Bishop William Nolan, who had a key role in dealing with a number of high-profile recent scandals, was rushed to hospital after complaining of chest pains at his home in Ayr, with the church confirming he was being treated for a heart attack.

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Local sources claim Bishop Nolan was fitted with a stent at Hairmyres Hospital in East Kilbride and has been transferred to Wishaw General, close to where it is understood he has immediate family.

Prayers were said for the 62-year-old in Scotland's Catholic parishes across the weekend, with the Pope's representative in the UK, the Papal Nuncio Antonio Mennini, informed of the issue.

Amongst the messages of support on social media were appeals for prayers from the Scots College in Rome.

The blow comes just over a year after Bishop Nolan was brought in to head the Diocese of Galloway, which has had a troubled history of rebel priests, plummeting congregations and clergy numbers and ill-health, with the previous incumbent, John Cunningham, incapacitated for several years before standing down.

Part of the church's 'new broom' over the past few years, Bishop Nolan had previously been parish priest in East Kilbride for 20 years but was thrust into the public eye over his role as troubleshooter in the case of suspended Lanarkshire cleric Matthew Despard.

Father Despard had made a number of damning allegations of gay cliques within the church, splitting his parish and resulting in Bishop Nolan being tasked with running it during the suspension. He was also involved with several court cases to remove Father Despard from the parish house.

Since being appointed to Galloway, he has had to deal with the fall-out from the investigation into and subsequent jailing of Father Graeme Bell, who stole almost £100,000 in parish funds to feed his gambling problem.

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In recent weeks one of the highest profile clerics, Canon Patrick Keegans, the priest who found himself at the centre of the Lockerbie disaster, was been ordered by doctors to step down from the pulpit or permanently lose his voice.

One source said: "It seems he took chest pains on Friday, called the doctor and they took him straight to Hairmyers. I understood they were looking for a hospital in Lanarkshire for him to rest for a few weeks so that's why he's in Wishaw.

"It seems the stress of Galloway and Motherwell dioceses, Despard, Graeme Bell and the problems with the massive shortage of clergy won't have helped.

"We even have Bishop Emeritus Maurice Taylor stepping in at 91 years of age due to problems within the diocese."

Another said: "He's apparently in good form and seeing a cardiologist on Monday. The outlook positive-ish I think."

A spokesperson for the Diocese of Galloway said: “After feeling unwell at home on Friday 12 August 2016 and calling for paramedic assistance, Bishop Bill Nolan was transferred by ambulance to Hairmyres Hospital.

"It appears that he suffered a heart attack, his condition is stable and he remained under observation over the weekend. He has now been transferred to Wishaw General Hospital."

In the last few years most of Scotland's Catholic bishops have been replaced by younger men, seen as the generation to lead the church over the next decades.

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But Archbishop of Glasgow Philip Tartaglia has suffered poor health, including a heart attack, while Joe Toal, Bishop of Motherwell, is understood to have major problems with his eyesight.