O'Brien said, while criticising a parliamentary bill on embryology in 2008, that he carried an organ donor card. O'Brien suffered from heart problems and was fitted with a pacemaker after complaining of dizzy spells and fainting prior to Passion Sunday Mass in March 2008. When he announced that he would not attend the 2013 conclave he said "Approaching the age of 75 and at times in indifferent health, I tendered my resignation as Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh to Pope Benedict XVI some months ago."