Bishops call on Catholics to make voice heard against assisted dying
THE ecclesiastical leaders of Scotland’s Catholics have urged parishioners to speak out against assisted dying legislation being considered at Holyrood.
In a rare intervention on political matters, the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland has written to the nation’s 723,000 Catholics, warning them of their “deep concerns” about the Assisted Dying For Terminally Ill
Adults (Scotland) Bill, which is to be debated at Stage 3 next month.
The letter, which is to be read out during Mass at all Catholic churches north of the Border this weekend, states: “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.”
The letter is signed by Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh Leo Cushley and Archbishop of Glasgow William Nolan, as well as the bishops of Paisley, Argyll and the Isles, Dunkeld, Motherwell, Aberdeen, and Galloway. It also raises concerns about a number of rejected amendments they say would have strengthened the bill.
These include plans to mandate training for doctors on the signs of coercive control, proposals to ensure proper palliative and social care for people considering assisted suicide, and an opt-out for hospices and care homes that object to assisted suicide.
The bishops go on to state: “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.
“May the Holy Spirit grant our nation the wisdom to choose the path of life, compassion, and genuine human solidarity.”
The intervention comes two days after a second MSP announced she had changed her mind about the bill, which was brought forward by
Libdems’ MSP Liam Mcarthur.
Collette Stevenson, MSP for East Kilbride, told The Herald she had “significant concerns” about the bill, while another three MSPS who backed the proposal last year say they are now undecided.
Last May, MSPS passed the bill at
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
Stage 1 by a vote of 70 to 56. However, one of the bill’s supporters was Colin Smyth, whose Holyrood pass has been revoked after being arrested and charged with possessing indecent images of children and voyeurism in August.
As such, the bill will be defeated if seven MSPS change their mind.
So far, Ms Stevenson and criminal justice committee convener Audrey Nicoll have said they will switch their votes.
This week, a group of seven organisations representing doctors, psychiatrists, surgeons, GPS and pharmacists raised “significant collective concern” about proposals to remove provisions on “no duty to participate”, conscientious objection, employment protections and professional regulation.
The groups, including the Royal College of General Practitioners Scotland and the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, have said they are neutral on the practice in principle but fear procedural changes could weaken safeguards.
The Bishops’ Conference of Scotland previously spoke out against the assisted dying legislation last May.
A spokesman said: “The Catholic Church remains steadfast in its consistent opposition to assisted suicide and invites MSPS to commit to improving palliative care, protecting the vulnerable and upholding the dignity of life by voting against Liam Mcarthur’s bill.”
At the time, a letter to parishioners read: “The bishops of Scotland are calling the Catholic community to a Day of Prayer to pray for our parliamentarians to cast their vote to care and not to kill; and to pray for Catholics across Scotland to reach out to their MSPS and MPS to urge them to work to improve palliative care and reject assisted suicide.”