The bishops assert that “the life of a new and unique human person begins at conception, that is, the fusion of the cells of the mother and the father. From that moment on, every human being should have the full right to the protection of life.”
The Polish prelates also quote St. John Paul II from his encyclical Evangelium Vitae: “There can be no true democracy without a recognition of every person’s dignity and without respect for his or her rights” (EV, 101).
The bishops point out that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, and the Polish Constitution and statutory provisions protect everyone’s right to life, calling it “an elementary principle inscribed in human nature which must not be violated.”
Expressing concern over attempts to legalize “the killing of the child in the womb,” the bishops deem it “extremely dangerous for public safety” and urge all people of goodwill to oppose such efforts.
The letter emphasizes that “as shepherds of the Catholic Church in Poland, and at the same time citizens of our country, we have the right and duty to remind — both the faithful of the Catholic Church and all people of goodwill — that we are obliged to respect human beings, especially the weakest and defenseless.”
The letter echoes a letter by Polish physicians from February in which Catholic doctors call on Prime Minister Donald Tusk “to stop activities aimed at making abortion available in Poland.”
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