Poland: abortion law and demonstrations, Bishops’ President Gadecki intervenes. “The Church defends life”

The ruling of the Constitutional Court in Warsaw on the unlawfulness of abortion in cases of severe foetal malformation “is a confirmation of the constitutional law” and “is faithful to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights”, the President of the Polish Bishops, Mgr. Stanisław Gądecki, said today. The ruling, which was issued on 22 October and was due to be published by 2 November, is opposed by some segments of civil society who are demonstrating daily in many cities. Protesters, who are against the new legislation and call for the liberalization of the abortion law, which in Poland is stricter than in other countries, blame the Catholic Church for the additional restrictions introduced by the legislation in force. “Not only has the Church always defended life and will continue to do so in the future, but she also cannot remain silent on the need to protect every human being from conception to natural death”, Mgr. Gądecki remarked. He also stressed that “from the point of view of faith, human life is sacred and inviolable”. The prelate pointed the finger at some ideological and financial pressure groups for “promoting the right to abortion” on a large scale “to get political gain”. The Church, however, the president of the Polish episcopate went on to say, “should not ally with any political party” since “she has her own saving mission as well as the obligation to defend the truth revealed without compromising and, based on this truth, to support God’s plan in the world in which she lives”.
Anna T. Kowalewska