The Bishops' Conference of Scotland

As Catholics, we hold that every human life is sacred — a gift from God, worthy of protection and love from conception until natural death.

With MSPs set to take their final vote on assisted suicide next month, we are sharing the Bishops of Scotland’s letter, which outlines clearly why this proposed law conflicts with the dignity of the human person and a truly compassionate society.

We invite you to read the letter, to pray for those nearing the end of life and for all who care for them, and to make your voice heard by contacting your MSP through Care Not Killing: https://carenotkilling.scot

May the Holy Spirit grant our nation the wisdom and courage to uphold the sanctity of life and to choose the way of genuine compassion and solidarity.

@top fans


𝗖𝗵𝗼𝗼𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗦𝘂𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗱𝗲 – 𝗔 𝗣𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗟𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗕𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗽𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝗰𝗼𝘁𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Scotland stands at a moment of profound moral consequence. In the coming weeks, the Scottish Parliament will cast its final vote on the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill; legislation that would, for the first time in our nation’s history, permit physician-assisted suicide. As your shepherds, entrusted with the care of souls and the protection of human dignity, we write to you with deep concern.

True compassion is not found in hastening death 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.

Over recent months, several Members of the Scottish Parliament who once supported the proposal have now either withdrawn, or are seriously considering withdrawing, their backing, recognising that the risks embedded within it are too grave to ignore. Their change of heart reflects a dawning awareness that coercion, especially the subtle, hidden coercion experienced by the most vulnerable, including the elderly, the sick, the disabled and those living with domestic abuse, cannot be reliably detected, let alone prevented.

Key protections that should form the very foundation of such legislation, however flawed the principle may be, have been removed or rejected. Proposals for mandatory training for doctors to recognise coercive control were voted down by the Parliament Health and Social Care Committee. Measures ensuring that patients are offered proper palliative and social care before considering assisted suicide were dismissed. An opt-out for hospices and care homes who object to assisted suicide was also rejected. Even the conscience rights of healthcare workers remain uncertain. As a result, MSPs are being asked to vote on a Bill that is incomplete and reliant on future intervention from Westminster—an arrangement that several parliamentarians have already described as unworkable and irresponsible.

Experience from abroad also offers a sober warning. In countries where assisted suicide has been introduced, narrow criteria have widened over time, placing ever more people

at risk—not because of unbearable physical suffering, but because they feel abandoned, isolated, or burdensome. We must not allow such a trajectory to take root here in Scotland.

We therefore urge you, the Catholic faithful of Scotland, to act. Please contact your MSPs and respectfully ask them to oppose this legislation. Make your voice heard in defence of those who may not be able to speak for themselves. Resources to assist you—including Care Not Killing’s online email tool—are available and we invite you to use them prayerfully and thoughtfully.

Let us also hold in prayer all those approaching the end of life, all who care for them, and all charged with shaping the laws of our land. May the Holy Spirit grant our nation the wisdom to choose the path of life, compassion, and genuine human solidarity.

Yours devotedly in Christ,

+ John Keenan, President, Bishop of Paisley
+ Brian McGee, Vice-President, Bishop of Argyll and the Isles
+ Andrew McKenzie, Episcopal Secretary, Bishop of Dunkeld
+ Leo Cushley, Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh
+ William Nolan, Archbishop of Glasgow
+ Joseph Toal, Bishop of Motherwell
+ Hugh Gilbert, Bishop of Aberdeen
+ Francis Dougan, Bishop of Galloway

Holy Mass of Thursday of the First Sunday of Lent | 26 February 2026
This music is licensed under one license number: A-623356

Lenten Devotions | Stations of the Cross | 24 February 2026
This music is licensed under one license number: A-623356

𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧 (𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐥 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐄𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐔𝐍𝐂𝐑𝐂 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐃𝐮𝐭𝐲) (𝐒𝐜𝐨𝐭𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝) 𝐁𝐢𝐥𝐥

The Bishops thank the Scottish Catholic Education Service (SCES) and the Scottish Catholic Parliamentary Office (SCPO) for the considerable work undertaken to present the Church’s strongly held views on this issue.

We recognise a number of important protections which have been secured. Religious Education remains a central part of the curriculum and will continue to be an entitlement for all pupils. In Catholic schools, Religious Education will remain within the authority of the Bishops’ Conference. The Scottish Government has acknowledged the intrinsic nature of Religious Education and Religious Observance in Catholic schools and, despite these being de-coupled in law, has committed to respecting and continuing both. The Government has also committed to involving SCES in drafting the statutory guidance. Furthermore, the retention of the term “Religious Instruction” in law ensures that the Religious Character of Catholic schools is not reduced solely to classroom learning.

However, we are deeply concerned by the decision to grant Scottish Ministers the power to introduce regulations that would permit young people to withdraw from religious observance without parental involvement. Article 14 of the UNCRC is often quoted selectively, overlooking its clear emphasis on the essential role of parents in a child’s religious upbringing. This narrative risks creating a false divide between children’s rights and parental responsibilities. Any future legislation must uphold the UNCRC’s intention to support families, not diminish their role.

We remain deeply concerned at the official policy of the Scottish Greens to impose a fully secular model of state education – an approach that would strip away Scotland’s denominational schools entirely.

We will work firmly and constructively with the Scottish Government to ensure that Catholic schools continue to be protected in law and safeguarded for the communities they serve.

Medjugorje Mass | 23 February 2026
This music is licensed under one license number: A-623356