Every human life begins with conception and has since developed in accordance with the natural principles encoded in the genome, says experts of the Bioethical squad of the Polish Episcopal Conference in their position entitled "Abortion beyond Ethics and Law?".
We print the full text of the squad of Experts of the Polish Bioethical Episcopal Conference.
Abortion beyond ethics and law?
1. Members of the Panel of Experts of the Polish Bioethical Episcopal Conference follow closely the actions taken by members of the Polish government to liberalise the practice of killing unborn children. The content of the guidelines and the way they are published are of top concern. 1 might have the impression that the aim is to practice abortion without ethical reflection and against the legal protection guaranteed by the Constitution.
2. The squad of experts recalls the fundamental fact in genetics that the life of all man begins at the minute of conception. From this point on, it develops continuously on the basis of the interior principles enshrined in its genome. His life is no little crucial than that of any another man. How fundamental this is for social life. evidence of its entry in the Constitution of the Republic. This fact is besides confirmed by the heart of man in the form of a command of conscience to do good and to avoid evil. He is incapable to free himself from this command, for it concerns the foundation of human morality. The contempt for this order is very dangerous for social relations, as it undermines the legitimacy of another rights protecting human values in society.
3. It is crucial to callback the opposition already expressed on 4 September 2023 to the creation of a fresh explanation of the existing law to extend the criteria allowing the legal deprivation of the unborn kid on the basis of a intellectual wellness condition. Abortion is not a therapeutic treatment. The killing of a kid cannot be considered a means to reconstruct the wellness of a woman. The surprise of the members of the Group is besides a real ban on consulting and organizing the Consilium to examine the grounds for abortion. These guidelines infringe the statutory right of a doctor to consult on his own initiative the competent medical professional or to organise a medical console resulting from Article 37 of the Act of 5 December 1996 on the profession of doctor and dentist. Given the well-being of the patients, which are the parent and unborn child, recourse to the opinions of experienced doctors allows to look for the most optimal solution.
4. It is peculiarly worrying to effort to limit the organization right to freedom of conscience to the anticipation of refusing to take medical action contrary to the strategy of doctor values, and even more so to the strategy of universal values. "It is unacceptable to make a culture of medical profession in which ... an individual loses its subjectivity, is forced to deny his identity and take part in proceedings that in the judgement of her conscience is moral evil". It is unacceptable to force abortion under the threat of financial sanctions, including the failure of a contract with the National wellness Fund. It should be noted that the conscience of doctors may be broken in specified a situation by persons managing medicinal agents who will fear the limitation or failure of public backing for medical activities. This does not number for the fundamental right of citizens to wellness benefits, which will be reduced by the deprivation of their funds. This is so not a punishment imposed on the directors of hospitals, but infirmary staff who have the right to a fair salary, and above all in patients who have the right to usage available therapies.
5. The lawyer General's guidelines call into question his independence, which should warrant all citizen that his case will be dealt with objectively and fairly, without interference from non-medical parties. The Attorney-General's force is of serious concern that the procedure for assisting in the abortion should be terminated or that requests for conditional dismissal should be sent to court due to insignificant social harm. In the light of the rulings of the Constitutional Court (of 28 May 1997, act No K. 26/96 and act No K 1/20 of 22 October 2020), there is no reason to change the explanation of the minute erstwhile the legal protection of life began. It should start with conception and cover the full pregnancy period. Given the fundamental nature of the right to life, actions in them cannot be regarded as having small harmful effect.
6. The squad of experts recalls the unchanging teaching of the Church that "direct abortion, that is, intended as a goal or as a means, is always a serious moral disorder due to the fact that it is simply a voluntary killing of an innocent human being" (John Paul II, Evangelium vitae encyclical No. 62). According to ecclesiastical law, the killing of an unborn kid and the association in this case is treated as 1 of the most severe crimes and is punished by excommunication, which excludes from participation in the spiritual goods entrusted to the Church by Christ.
On behalf of the Polish Bioethical Episcopal Conference Expert Group
Bishop Józef Wróbel SCJ
== sync, corrected by elderman ==
