[2] After the Scottish Reformation, the Roman Catholic Church abandoned the ancient dioceses and hierarchy.

Following the restoration of the Scottish hierarchy by Pope Leo XIII on 15 March 1878, part of the Eastern District was elevated to the status of an archdiocese with the title St Andrews & Edinburgh.

[3] In Lent 2015, Archbishop Cushley outlined his vision for the future of the archdiocese in a pastoral letter entitled "We Have Found the Messiah".

The document stated aim was to "respond to the mission entrusted to him [Archbishop Cushley] by Pope Francis: to bring the joy of the Gospel to contemporary society."

Following the publication of the letter, Archbishop Cushley embarked upon 32 public meetings across the Archdiocese to discuss his vision which includes the possibility of creating larger parish units through either mergers or closures.