The Bishops' Conference of Scotland

In this significant moment, we commend Scotland to the care of Almighty God.

We ask the faithful to pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit upon our MSPs, that every decision may uphold the dignity and sanctity of human life.

Our Lady of Good Counsel, pray for us.

Legends surround Saint Patrick, but at the heart of his life were two simple qualities: humility and courage. He accepted both suffering and success as part of God’s plan, trusting he was only an instrument in bringing Ireland to Christ.

As a teenager, he was captured by Irish raiders and enslaved in Ireland, where he endured hunger, cold and isolation as a shepherd. During those years his faith deepened. After escaping and returning home, he later discerned a call to return to Ireland as a missionary bishop.

Despite opposition and criticism, Patrick preached the Gospel across the country, especially in places where Christ had not yet been proclaimed. He ordained priests, established dioceses, founded monasteries and encouraged the people to grow in holiness.

In a relatively short time, Ireland was transformed by the Christian faith and would go on to send missionaries across Europe. In his Confessio, Patrick gave thanks to God for calling him, an unworthy sinner, to such a mission.

His life remains a powerful witness to faith, courage and trust in God.

More and more medical bodies, professional organisations and charities across Scotland are raising serious concerns about the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill.

From the Royal College of Psychiatrists to palliative care experts, disability organisations, and legal professionals, the message is clear:

⚠️ Safeguards are inadequate
⚠️ Risks to vulnerable people remain
⚠️ Key protections have been removed or weakened

These are not isolated voices. They represent those working closest with the sick, elderly, disabled and most vulnerable in our society.

The more we know, the more we say no.

The Catholic bishops of Scotland are urging politicians to reject the proposed Assisted Suicide Bill, warning that it poses serious risks to vulnerable people.

Ahead of tomorrow’s vote in the Scottish Parliament, the bishops have called for legislation that protects life and strengthens compassionate care for those who are seriously ill.

Read more below.

The more we know, the more we say no.


With a final vote on the controversial proposal due to take place on March 17, Scottish bishops have made an urgent plea to Scottish politicians to reject the legislation.

𝗠𝗦𝗣𝘀 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗮 𝗯𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗱𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴: 𝗮 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘃𝘂𝗹𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗦𝗰𝗼𝘁𝘀

The Scottish Parliament stands at a moment of profound moral consequence. On Tuesday, MSPs will cast their final vote on the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill—legislation that would change healthcare forever by permitting, for the first time, physician-assisted suicide.

This Bill is a serious threat to vulnerable Scots, including the elderly, disabled, those who suffer from poor mental health, and victims of domestic abuse. In a world that often prizes independence, those who are vulnerable can easily feel like a burden.
An amendment to the Bill that would have prevented doctors from being able to raise assisted suicide unprompted with patients, was rejected; a decision that, in one move, dismantles thousands of years of Hippocratic tradition of ‘first do no harm’.

This decision only adds to already significant concerns expressed by MSPs about the risk of coercion, demonstrating a keen awareness of their responsibility to protect vulnerable people from this threat.

The crucial conscientious objection clauses that offered protection to doctors have been stripped out of the Bill which means MSPs will be asked to vote on an incomplete Bill devoid of a key protection for healthcare workers. This has moved the Royal College of Psychiatrists in Scotland and the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Scotland to switch from a position of neutrality to one of opposition to the Bill.

Furthermore, an institutional opt-out was disappointingly voted down by MSPs, meaning Catholic hospices and care homes would be forced to close rather than provide assisted suicides in a hammer blow to an already creaking palliative care system.

True compassion is not found in killing but in walking with those who suffer, ensuring they receive the medical, emotional, and spiritual care that affirms their inherent worth. Every person—regardless of age, illness, disability, or circumstance—is a gift from God. There is no such thing as a life without value. Our task as a society is not to eliminate suffering by eliminating the sufferer, but to surround every individual with love, support, and dignity until their natural end.

I understand how the choice before our MSPs is unenviable, because it is now a binary one; either they vote to allow some citizens a new autonomy, or they vote to protect thousands of vulnerable and fearful Scots who do not want this legislation and who will suffer most if this Bill passes. They cannot do both at the same time, and I would urge them, in the last analysis, to think of those who, in the months and years ahead, will find themselves defenceless and who, at this moment, are depending on them most.

Bishop John Keenan
President of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland