Archbishop Stanisław Gądecki, president of the Polish Episcopal Conference, asked the president of the Republic of Poland to refuse to sign the Act of 29 November 2023 concerning the amendment of the Act on the provision of public-funded healthcare. He besides asked for this law to be re-examined by the Sejm or referred to the Constitutional Court.
In a letter to the President, the president of the Episcopate pointed out that the Church had repeatedly spoken on the subject of infertility, recognising it as an inappropriate method to treat infertility. Archbishop Gądecki stressed that the teaching of the Church is based on both legal and natural arguments and spiritual arguments.
"Human life is simply a fundamental value and an inalienable good. It so demands absolute protection, regardless of the period and quality of human life. Meanwhile, the in vitro method is experimenting on man, his circumstantial +production+ being the +form of human life+" – assessed the president of the KEP.
Archbishop Gądecki stressed that infertility is simply a hard challenge and it is so crucial to introduce a national effective fertility treatment programme. According to modern medicine, the elimination of medical or intellectual causes of infertility brings much better chances of having a healthy kid than procedures of artificially assisted reproduction.
The president of the Polish Episcopal Conference stressed at the same time that each of the children conceived utilizing in vitro is "created in the image and likeness" of God and has natural human dignity. Therefore, all kid should be received with love and respect, equally worthy of the same feelings as children conceived naturally.
Recently, the Minister for Equality, Katarzyna Kotula, recalled that Nowa Lewica declared the Constitutional Court's judgement to ban eugenic abortion to be invalid, calling it "unique". She expressed hope that the annulment process would be carried out quickly. The European Court of Human Rights found a violation of the right to respect for the private and household life of a Polish female who was denied eugenic abortion, while questioning the legality of the Constitutional Court ruling on this matter.
Kotula commented on this judgment, stressing that it confirms the request for the right to choose for women, especially in situations where the fetus is affected by serious defects, including genetic defects. She besides pointed out voices from the United Right camp suggesting that the Constitutional Court's ruling could have been a mistake arising from political pressure.
Minister Kotula recalled that after the elections to the Sejm, 2 draft left-wing abortion laws were submitted. The first proposes that abortion be allowed “on request” until the 12th week of fetal life regardless of the cause. After this period there remains the anticipation of eugenic abortion and the conditions related to the hazard of life and wellness of women. The second task involves depenalizing abortion, eliminating penalties for abortion and assisting in this area from the Criminal Code.
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The head of the Polish clergy urged Duda not to sign the in vitro law:
