The Presidium of the Conference of Polish Bishops has called on Poles to pray before a parliamentary vote on public funding for IVF treatment this Friday. The Lower House of Parliament (Sejm) is to vote on the first readings of six competing bills on in vitro fertilisation: four by the ruling Civic Platform, allowing in varying degrees for public funding of IVF treatment for married and unmarried couples, and two by the opposition Law and Justice party, calling for a complete ban and even legal punishment for the performance of procedure.
In the Polish bishops’ view, however, MPs should vote in line with the church’s teaching and should be in keeping with “the dignity of human life”.
The Polish Episcopate asks that the prayers be said during mass and at home for a successful outcome of the votes by MPs.
Last week, in an open letter to politicians, clergy likened IVF to the “younger sister of eugenics”.
Currently, clinics in Poland perform IVF treatment for around 6,500 to 15,000 zlotys, or around 1,500 to nearly 4,000 euros.
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