The Bishops' Conference of Scotland

2nd March 2026

2 March 2026

Christian Leaders Urge MSPs to Reject Assisted Suicide Bill Ahead of Final Vote

An Open Letter to MSPs Ahead of the Stage 3 Vote on the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill

Dear Member of the Scottish Parliament,

We write together as Christian leaders in Scotland because we believe Liam McArthur's Assisted Dying bill touches one of the most important moral questions of our time - how we care for one another at the end of life.

While we understand the deeply felt desire to relieve suffering, permitting doctors to assist in ending life undermines human dignity. However carefully framed, such legislation risks normalising he idea that some lives are no longer worth living. It would expose the most vulnerable - the elderly, the disabled, and those who feel themselves to be a burden - to subtle pressures and coercion that no safeguard can fully prevent.

True compassion does not mean helping someone to die, but committing ourselves to care for them in life. Scotland should invest in first-class palliative and end-of-life care, ensuring that no one faces pain, fear, or loneliness without support.

Courts and legislatures in Canada and Australia have grappled with the consequences of assisted dying laws: eligibility has expanded, safeguards have been challenged, and concerns about coercion and misuse have arisen. We should learn from those experiences rather than repeat their mistakes.

We urge you, therefore, to stand for the equal worth and dignity of every human life, and to vote against this legislation at Stage 3. A truly compassionate society accompanies those who suffer; it does not abandon them to an early death.

Yours sincerely,

Rt Rev. Rosemary Frew
Moderator, Church of Scotland

Bishop John Keenan
President of the Bishops' Conference of Scotland

Rev Alasdair Macleod
Moderator, Free Church of Scotland

Rev Martin Keane, Moderator
United Free Church of Scotland

Major David Burns
Executive Secretary to Leadership (Scotland), Salvation Army

Andy Hunter
Director for Scotland, Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches

Alistair Matheson
Scottish Regional Superintendent for the Apostolic Church UK

Contact:

Media Office

Bishops’ Conference of Scotland
64 Aitken Street, ML6 6LT
Tel: 01236 764061
Email: [email protected]

27th February 2026

27 February 2026

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

Contact:
Media Office

Bishops’ Conference of Scotland
64 Aitken Street, ML6 6LT
Tel: 01236 764061
Email: [email protected]

The Roman Catholic Bishops in Scotland work together to undertake nationwide initiatives through their Commissions and Agencies.

The members of the Bishops' Conference are the Bishops of the eight Scottish Dioceses. Where appropriate the Bishops Emeriti (retired) provide a much welcomed contribution to the work of the conference. The Bishops' Conference of Scotland is a permanently constituted assembly which meets regularly throughout the year to address relevant business matters.

Members of The Bishops' Conference of Scotland

Click here to visit the Jubilee 2025 website

The Jubilee Prayer

Father in heaven,

may the faith you have given us

in your son, Jesus Christ, our brother,

and the flame of charity enkindled in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, reawaken in us the blessed hope for the coming of your Kingdom.

May your grace transform us into tireless cultivators of the seeds of the Gospel.

May those seeds transform from within both humanity and the whole cosmos in the sure expectation of a new heaven and a new earth,

when, with the powers of Evil vanquished,

your glory will shine eternally.

May the grace of the Jubilee reawaken in us, Pilgrims of Hope, a yearning for the treasures of heaven. May that same grace spread the joy and peace of our Redeemer throughout the earth.

To you our God, eternally blessed, be glory and praise for ever.

Amen

News from the Commissions and Agencies

March 2026

06Mar

Scotland is being asked to consider a Bill that would introduce assisted suicide into our law

06 Mar, 2026 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

Scotland is being asked to consider a Bill that would introduce assisted suicide into our law. Many people believe it is only about helping a very small number of people at the very end of life.

But the legislation goes much further than that. Under the proposals, any adult with an advanced and progressive illness or condition from which they cannot recover could be eligible. That could apply to far more people than many realise.

There are also serious concerns about the impact on healthcare. The proposals would allow doctors to raise the possibility of assisted suicide even when a patient has not asked about it, raising questions about the trust at the heart of the doctor–patient relationship.

At the same time, palliative care in Scotland remains underfunded and difficult to access for many people who need it. Surely our priority should be improving care and support for those facing serious illness.

Every human life has dignity and worth, especially those who are most vulnerable.

📩 Ask your MSP to reject this Bill: carenotkilling.scot

06Mar

Once the law changes, the debate does not end

06 Mar, 2026 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | Being Catholic |

Once the law changes, the debate does not end.

There will always be another group of people who are suffering but do not meet the criteria. And once assisted suicide is legal for some, pressure quickly grows to extend it to others.

This is why, in country after country, the scope of these laws continues to expand over time.

Before Scotland takes this step, it is vital to ask not only what the law says today, but where it may lead tomorrow.

📩 Contact your MSP today through carenotkilling.scot and make your voice heard.

06Mar

💜 Lenten Action Challenge – Week 2: Keeping Refugee Families Together

06 Mar, 2026 | Justice & Peace Scotland | Justice & Peace Scotland Facebook |

💜 Lenten Action Challenge – Week 2: Keeping Refugee Families Together

✍️For Week 2 of our Lenten Challenge we invite you to take one small action to stand with refugees and defend their right to family life by signing Safe Passage International's petition to the Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, asking her to keep families 'Together Not Torn'.

🚫Last year the UK Government suspended the Refugee Family Reunion route - the main pathway allowing people who have been granted refugee status in the UK to reunite with their partners and children. This decision has already left many families separated indefinitely.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦Family reunion is a vital humanitarian route to protection from war and persecution. 92% of those who use it in the UK are women and children, joining family members who have already reached safety here. Removing safe routes like this risks further pushing vulnerable people towards dangerous journeys.

💔There are now plans to replace the current system with a more restrictive scheme, which could keep families separated, only deepening the uncertainty and trauma already impacting their lives. This could leave women and children in protracted states of limbo, living in camps or in dangerous circumstances, unable to join their partners and fathers who have made the initial journey to find safety in the UK.

🇻🇦The right to family life is protected in international human rights law, and Catholic Social Teaching recognises the family as the fundamental unit of society. Pope Francis repeatedly called on governments to welcome, protect, promote and integrate migrants and refugees. Likewise, Pope Leo XIV has affirmed that hospitality, compassion and solidarity should shape the Church’s response to migrants and refugees, encouraging Christians to welcome them as brothers and sisters and accompany them in their journeys.

📧 THE ACTION
That’s why we’re asking supporters to email the Home Secretary calling for the suspension of Refugee Family Reunion to be lifted and for the UK to protect, not curtail, safe routes that allow families to reunite.

WHAT TO DO:
1️⃣ Click the link to the email in the comments below.
2️⃣ Send the pre-written email to the Home Secretary.
3️⃣Share this post and action with others.

💜Defending the right to family life is one way we can stand alongside people seeking safety and help ensure that compassion and justice shape the policies that affect them. Keeping families together helps people recover from trauma, rebuild their lives, and integrate into their communities.

06Mar

Holy Mass of Friday of the Second Week of Lent | 06 March 2026

06 Mar, 2026 | Being Catholic | Being Catholic |

Holy Mass of Friday of the Second Week of Lent | 06 March 2026
This music is licensed under one license number: A-623356

06Mar

Gospel

06 Mar, 2026 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

Gospel
Matthew 21:33-43, 45-46
‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him.’

At that time: Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people, ‘Hear another parable. There was a master of a house who planted a vineyard and put a fence round it and dug a wine press in it and built a tower and leased it to tenants, and went into another country. When the season for fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to get his fruit. And the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. Again he sent other servants, more than at first. And they did the same to them. Finally he sent his son to them, saying, “They will respect my son.” But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, “This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.” And they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?’
They said to him, ‘He will put those wretches to a miserable death and let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons.’
Jesus said to them, ‘Have you never read in the Scriptures: “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes”? Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits.’
When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he was speaking about them. And although they were seeking to arrest him, they feared the crowds, because they held him to be a prophet.

05Mar

Holy Mass of Thursday of the Second Week of Lent | 05 March 2026

05 Mar, 2026 | Being Catholic | Being Catholic |

Holy Mass of Thursday of the Second Week of Lent | 05 March 2026
This music is licensed under one license number: A-623356

05Mar

Gospel

05 Mar, 2026 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

Gospel
Luke 16:19-31
‘You received good things, and Lazarus bad things; now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish.’

At that time: Jesus said to the Pharisees, ‘There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried, and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he called out, “Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.” But Abraham said, “Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not do so, and none may cross from there to us.” And he said, “Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father’s house — for I have five brothers — so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.” But Abraham said, “They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.” And he said, “No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.” He said to him, “If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.” ’

04Mar

This Lent, the Commission for Marriage, Family and Life is inviting families to enter the desert with Christ

04 Mar, 2026 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

This Lent, the Commission for Marriage, Family and Life is inviting families to enter the desert with Christ.

Across the country, couples and families will be praying a nightly decade of the Rosary, supporting one another as we walk with Jesus during these 40 days.

When you sign up, you will receive simple materials to help you create a prayer space in your home, along with access to a digital community sharing intentions and encouragement. As Easter approaches, there will also be an opportunity to take part in a retreat with focused talks for married couples and families.

Let this Lent be a time of deeper prayer, stronger family bonds, and renewed love for Christ.

Join us today and walk this journey together.
http://bit.ly/lentrosary

04Mar

Holy Mass of Wednesday of the Second Week of Lent | 04 March 2026

04 Mar, 2026 | Being Catholic | Being Catholic |

Holy Mass of Wednesday of the Second Week of Lent | 04 March 2026
This music is licensed under one license number: A-623356

04Mar

Gospel

04 Mar, 2026 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

Gospel
Matthew 20:17-28
‘They will condemn him to death.’

At that time: As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside, and on the way he said to them, ‘See, we are going up to Jerusalem. And the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day.’
Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came up to him with her sons, and kneeling before him she asked him for something. And he said to her, ‘What do you want?’ She said to him, ‘Say that these two sons of mine are to sit one at your right hand and one at your left in your kingdom.’ Jesus answered, ‘You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?’ They said to him, ‘We are able.’ He said to them, ‘You will drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.’ And when the Ten heard it, they were indignant at the two brothers. But Jesus called them to him and said, ‘You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.’