Statement on the rejection by the Polish Sejm of a bill decriminalizing abortion

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On July 12, the Parliament of the Republic of Poland rejected by a majority vote a bill decriminalizing the killing of unborn children through abortion. Thanks to the attitude of Members of Parliament who stood above political divisions, the unequivocal voice of the Church, and the extraordinary mobilization of society itself, the statutory attack on the constitutionally-guaranteed protection of life (Article 38 of the Polish Constitution), reinforced by the established jurisprudence of Poland’s Constitutional Tribunal and derived from the inherent, inalienable, and inviolable dignity of man (Article 30 of the Polish Constitution), has failed.

Each defeat of abortion bills reinforces the process of raising the degree of the legal protection of life in Poland, which has been ongoing for 31 years, with the goal of achieving the necessary equal legal protection of life for every child, both before and after birth. This is also true in relation to criminal law.

The result of today’s vote should be read first and foremost as Poland taking a stand on the side of the civilization of life, which dictates that our political authorities should stand on the side of the weakest and those most in need of help. It is also a further step toward fulfilling the obligation embodied in the UN Declaration of Human Rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which remind us that “the child, by reason of his physical and mental immaturity, needs special safeguards and care, including appropriate legal protection, before as well as after birth.” In this way, the legal sanction given to the basic, universal moral principle of “Thou shalt not kill!” is perfected.

At the same time, it should not be forgotten that the Polish Parliament is still working on other abortion projects that run contrary to the Polish Constitution, which strike at all of the principles mentioned above, and whose enactment would inevitably lead to the deaths of thousands of children, indescribable personal tragedies involving many citizens of our country, and the moral decline of our nation, not to mention the deepening of Poland’s already dramatic demographic collapse.

We therefore call upon the authors, MPs, and senators who have put these bills forward to either withdraw or reject them immediately in a vote, and upon the President of the Republic of Poland to veto any bill that would lead to a reduction in the degree of the protection of life in Poland.

We also ask those in power – the parliamentary majority, as well as all the deputies and senators of the Republic of Poland, to focus their legislative efforts and state policy not on the killing of children through abortion, but on the effective, full, legal protection of life, as well as the fair, integral fulfilment of the constitutional obligation contained in Article 71 of the Polish Constitution, according to which “families in a difficult material and social situation, especially those with many children and incomplete families, have the right to special assistance from public authorities,” and “a mother before and after giving birth has the right to special assistance from public authorities.”

Centre for Life and Family

Ordo Iuris Institute for Legal Culture

Fr. Piotr Skarga Association for Christian Culture