The Bishops' Conference of Scotland

17th March 2026

17 March 2026

Scotland Rejects Assisted Dying and Affirms Human Dignity

MSPs can be confident that they have taken the correct and responsible course of action. Their vote serves to protect some of Scotland’s most vulnerable individuals from the risk of being pressured into a premature death.

Every human life possesses inherent value. Genuine compassion is not expressed through ending a life, but through accompanying those who suffer and ensuring they receive the medical, emotional, and spiritual support that recognises their dignity. No life is without worth.

As a society, our responsibility is not to address suffering by eliminating the sufferer, but to surround each person with care, respect, and dignity until their natural end. Today’s decision moves Scotland further in that direction, and MSPs should be commended for this.

However, we must continue to make progress. Our next priority must be to strengthen palliative care by ensuring that it is properly funded and accessible to all who require it.

I would like to express my gratitude to all MSPs for their serious engagement with this issue and for the thoughtful and considered attention they have given to the bill. I am especially grateful to those who upheld the principle of human dignity and advocated on behalf of the vulnerable. Your principled commitment has not gone unnoticed.

Bishop John Keenan

President of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland

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

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News from the Commissions and Agencies

March 2026

13Mar

Holy Mass of Friday of the Third Week of Lent | 13 March 2026

13 Mar, 2026 | Being Catholic | Being Catholic |

Holy Mass of Friday of the Third Week of Lent | 13 March 2026
This music is licensed under one license number: A-623356

13Mar

Gospel

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

Gospel
Mark 12:28b-34
‘You shall love the Lord your God. You shall love your neighbour.’

At that time: One of the scribes came up to Jesus and asked him, ‘Which commandment is the most important of all?’ Jesus answered, ‘The most important is, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.” The second is this: “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.” There is no other commandment greater than these.’ And the scribe said to him, ‘You are right, Teacher. You have truly said that he is one, and there is no other besides him. And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbour as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.’ And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, ‘You are not far from the kingdom of God.’ And after that no one dared to ask him any more questions.

12Mar

MSPs have voted against an amendment that would have prevented doctors from raising assisted suicide with patients unprompted

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

MSPs have voted against an amendment that would have prevented doctors from raising assisted suicide with patients unprompted.

Without this safeguard, vulnerable people could be exposed to conversations about ending their life at moments of fear, illness or pressure.

This raises serious concerns about how the Assisted Dying Bill could affect those who are elderly, disabled or seriously ill.

This bill is a danger to vulnerable people and must be rejected.

Contact your MSP today and ask them to vote against the Assisted Suicide Bill:
👉 https://carenotkilling.scot

The more we KNOW, the more we say NO!

12Mar

MSPs have voted to remove conscientious objection from the Assisted Suicide Bill

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

MSPs have voted to remove conscientious objection from the Assisted Suicide Bill.

This means healthcare professionals could be left without the clear protections needed to refuse involvement on grounds of conscience.

As a result, MSPs will now be asked to vote on an incomplete Bill, missing a key safeguard for doctors, nurses and other healthcare staff.

This Bill must be rejected.

Contact your MSP today and urge them to vote against the Assisted Suicide Bill:
👉 https://carenotkilling.scot/

The more we know, the more we say no.

12Mar

When a law like this is introduced, it does not remain fixed

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

When a law like this is introduced, it does not remain fixed. What begins with strict limits can change over time as new cases are brought forward and pressure grows to widen eligibility.

One decision today can open the door to changes in the years ahead that we cannot fully control.

That is why it is so important to consider not only what the law says now, but where it could lead in the future.

📩 Contact your MSP and ask them to reject the Assisted Dying Bill: carenotkilling.scot

12Mar

Photos from Russell Findlay's post

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

Yes another MSP withdraws his support for the McArthur Assisted Dying Bill.

The more we KNOW, the more we say NO!

Contact your MSP to reject this bill
👉🏼 www.carenotkilling.scot

12Mar

Photos from Russell Findlay's post

12 Mar, 2026 | Being Catholic | Being Catholic |

Yes another MSP withdraws his support for the McArthur Assisted Dying Bill.

The more we KNOW, the more we say NO!

Contact your MSP to reject this bill
👉🏼 www.carenotkilling.scot

12Mar

Holy Mass of Thursday of the Third Week of Lent | 12 March 2026

12 Mar, 2026 | Being Catholic | Being Catholic |

Holy Mass of Thursday of the Third Week of Lent | 12 March 2026
This music is licensed under one license number: A-623356

12Mar

Liam McArthur has declined to rule out the possibility of doctors in Scotland ending a patient’s life if an assisted suicide att...

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

Liam McArthur has declined to rule out the possibility of doctors in Scotland ending a patient’s life if an assisted suicide attempt does not work.

The warning signs of a slippery slope are already appearing and this proposal shows how quickly the boundaries can begin to shift.

Kill the bill. Contact your MSP today
👉🏼 carenotkilling.scot

12Mar

Gospel

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

Gospel
Luke 11:14-23
‘Whoever is not with me is against me.’

At that time: Jesus was casting out a demon that was mute. When the demon had gone out, the mute man spoke, and the crowd marvelled. But some of them said, ‘He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the prince of demons’, while others, to test him, kept seeking from him a sign from heaven. But he, knowing their thoughts, said to them, ‘Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and a divided household falls. And if Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that I cast out demons by Beelzebul. And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are safe; but when one stronger than he attacks him and overcomes him, he takes away his armour in which he trusted and divides his spoil. Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.’