The Bishops' Conference of Scotland

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Over recent months, several Members of the Scottish Parliament who once supported the proposal have now either withdrawn, or are seriously considering withdrawing, their backing, recognising that the risks embedded within it are too grave to ignore.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

January 2026

01Jan

Gospel of the Day (Luke 2:16-21)

01 Jan, 2026 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

Gospel of the Day (Luke 2:16-21)

At that time: The shepherds went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

December 2025

31Dec

Holy Mass of the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God | 31 December 2025

31 Dec, 2025 | Being Catholic | Being Catholic |

Holy Mass of the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God | 31 December 2025
This music is licensed under one license number: A-623356

31Dec

2025

31 Dec, 2025 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | Being Catholic |

2025
A year of grace
Pilgrims of Hope

Entrusting 2026 to Mary the Mother of God

31Dec

As one year gives way to the next, there’s a quiet invitation to slow down

31 Dec, 2025 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

As one year gives way to the next, there’s a quiet invitation to slow down. Before thinking about what lies ahead, it can be worth spending time with what has already been lived, noticing what has shaped us, strengthened us, and revealed something deeper about who we are becoming.

The Examen offers a simple and prayerful way to do this. It helps us look at our days with honesty and gratitude, paying attention to moments of consolation and challenge, and recognising how God has been present even when we didn’t immediately notice.

Rather than rushing forward, we can step into the new year grounded in awareness and hope, carrying what has been learned, trusting in God’s guidance, and remaining attentive to His presence in the ordinary rhythms of daily life.

31Dec

Holy Mass of the Seventh Day of the Christmas Octave | 31 December 2025

31 Dec, 2025 | Being Catholic | Being Catholic |

Holy Mass of the Seventh Day of the Christmas Octave | 31 December 2025
This music is licensed under one license number: A-623356

31Dec

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God

31 Dec, 2025 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.

The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the Only Begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. John bore witness about him, and cried out, ‘This was he of whom I said, “He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.” ’

For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God; the only begotten God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.

30Dec

Bishops of Scotland Congratulate Lady Rita Rae CBE on receiving Honour from The King

30 Dec, 2025 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

Bishops of Scotland Congratulate Lady Rita Rae CBE on receiving Honour from The King

The Bishops’ Conference of Scotland warmly congratulates Lady Rita Rae on her appointment as a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in The King’s New Year’s Honours List.

Lady Rae has given outstanding service to the life and mission of the Catholic Church in Scotland. She currently serves as Chair of the Board of the Scottish Catholic Safeguarding Standards Agency (SCSSA) and as Vice Chair of St Margaret’s Children and Family Care Society, bringing wisdom, integrity, and a profound commitment to the protection and dignity of children and vulnerable people. She has also served the Church as a member of the national tribunal, as a board member of the Glasgow Archdiocesan newspaper Flourish and has given longstanding support for adoption and family services.

Alongside her service to the Catholic Church, Lady Rae has had a distinguished career in public life. She served as a Senator of the College of Justice and High Court judge, was the first working female Rector of the University of Glasgow, and she continues to support young people and students through education, mentoring, and scholarships.

Bishop John Keenan, President of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland, said:
“This honour recognises Lady Rae’s faithful service to the Church and her tireless commitment to justice, safeguarding, and the dignity of the human person. She is a most deserving recipient of this high honour.”

Bishop Brian McGee, Bishop with Episcopal responsibility for safeguarding, said:
“Lady Rae’s leadership and independent scrutiny have driven the Church’s safeguarding practices to the highest standards. Her clarity, compassion, and determination have deepened the Church’s commitment to care and protection for all, reminding us of our constant need to accompany survivors and maintain robust policies and procedures.”

Archbishop William Nolan, the Archbishop of Glasgow, said:
“The honour bestowed on Lady Rae is richly deserved. She has worked tirelessly for charities over the years including St Margaret’s Adoption Society and has greatly assisted the Scottish Bishops in their ongoing commitment to safeguarding. Her honour will be widely welcomed.”

The Bishops of Scotland assure Lady Rae of their prayers and congratulations.

30Dec

Congratulations to William Mawdsley (93), who has been awarded the Archdiocesan Medal, for Archdiocese of St Andrews & Edinburgh...

30 Dec, 2025 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

Congratulations to William Mawdsley (93), who has been awarded the Archdiocesan Medal, for Archdiocese of St Andrews & Edinburgh, in recognition of his outstanding service to the Church.

William has served as an altar server for an extraordinary 80 years and continues to serve faithfully.

Archbishop Cushley celebrated Mass at St John’s Church, Corstorphine, on Saturday, where he presented the medal to William. The weekend also marked a special personal milestone, as William and his wife Margaret celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary.

We give thanks for William’s remarkable witness of faith, dedication, and service to the Church.

Image (left to right): Fr Binu Palakapally IC (Parish Administrator, St John the Baptist & St Kentigern RC Parish, Edinburgh), William Mawdsley, Archbishop Cushley, Margaret Mawdsley, and Fr Paul Henderson (Assistant Priest).

30Dec

Holy Mass of the Sixth Day of the Christmas Octave | 30 December 2025

30 Dec, 2025 | Being Catholic | Being Catholic |

Holy Mass of the Sixth Day of the Christmas Octave | 30 December 2025
This music is licensed under one license number: A-623356

30Dec

Gospel of the Day (Luke 2:36-40)

30 Dec, 2025 | Bishops' Conference of Scotland | BCoS Facebook |

Gospel of the Day (Luke 2:36-40)

At that time: There was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin, and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the Temple, worshipping with fasting and prayer night and day. And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.
And when Joseph and Mary had performed everything according to the Law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favour of God was upon him.