Catholic Bishops Oppose Bill to Legalize Assisted Suicide in Scotland

The Catholic bishops of Scotland strongly condemned the Scottish Parliament’s rejection of conscience protections in a controversial bill that would legalize assisted suicide.

The Bishops’ Conference of Scotland expressed deep disappointment over the decision to reject amendments providing institutional conscientious objection to the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill. These amendments would have allowed faith-based organizations, including Catholic hospices and care homes, to opt out of participating in assisted suicide.

And the rejection is another reason Scottish lawmakers should defeat the bill.

“Every organisation has guiding values that shape its mission and practice and, for many faith‑based organisations, including Catholic hospices and care homes, these values are fundamentally incompatible with the introduction of assisted suicide,” the bishops stated in a release following the parliamentary action.

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The bishops urged members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) to reject the bill entirely in its upcoming final vote, arguing that without such protections, organizations face an untenable choice.

They warned that faith-based providers could be forced to “decide between acting contrary to their foundational values or closing.”

“The rejection of conscience safeguards for institutions follows Parliament’s earlier vote to remove provisions for individual healthcare professionals’ conscientious objection, including a “no duty to participate” clause and employment protections. That decision shifted responsibility for any remaining safeguards to Westminster, leaving what critics describe as an incomplete bill lacking key protections for doctors, nurses and other staff.

The bill, introduced by MSP Liam McArthur, is scheduled for a final Stage 3 vote on March 17.

Recent debate showed significant opposition, with 86% of MSPs who spoke on the first day of Stage 3 arguing against it.

The bishops’ stance aligns with broader pro-life concerns that the legislation undermines human dignity and end-of-life care. They have previously described the bill as a “dreadful mess” and called for a focus on improving palliative care instead.

Bishop John Keenan, president of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland, has been a leading voice in opposing the measure, advocating for protections that respect moral and ethical objections rooted in faith.

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