The leader of the Catholic Church in Poland, Archbishop Stanislaw Gądecki warned politicians this month that they cannot receive communion if they support killing unborn babies in abortions.
Christian Network Europe reports Gądecki, president of the Polish Episcopal Conference, also reminded government leaders of their responsibility to protect human life in his speech to the annual March of Life and Family in Warsaw.
“Human life is sacred and inviolable in every dimension and condition,” Gądecki said.
Addressing the country’s politicians, he continued: “Called to serve man, the common good, they must stand boldly on the side of life, especially in the field of legal regulations. This is the task of deputies and senators; this is also the task of the Sejm [lower house of parliament]. This is the task of all those who enjoy greater public support and, therefore, should also show greater respect for life.”
Poland is one of the few European countries that still protects unborn babies by banning almost all abortions. The only exceptions are for cases of rape, incest and threats to the mother’s life. According to Notes from Poland, the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party is pro-life, but almost all of the opposition parties support legalizing abortion in at least some circumstances.
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The archbishop said any MP who votes to legalize killing unborn babies must not receive communion.
“A law that violates a child’s natural right to life is unjust. Every MP who votes against life commits a grave sin and cannot receive Holy Communion,” Gądecki said, according to the report.
Other Catholic leaders in the United States have issued similar warnings to Catholic lawmakers, most notably San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone regarding former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Although Pelosi professes to be a devout Catholic, she repeatedly and openly defies Catholic Church teachings on abortion and supports killing unborn babies. For her continued unrepentant and obstinance, Cordileone told the lawmaker in 2022 that she could not receive communion in her home diocese.
Others have denied communion to President Joe Biden and other pro-abortion politicians.
Poland is a largely Catholic country and has some of the strongest legal protections for unborn babies in Europe. Recent polls show a “silent majority” supports pro-life laws.
In 2020, the Polish Constitutional Court struck down an exception that had allowed unborn babies with disabilities to be aborted. Now, abortions are prohibited except in cases of rape, incest or threats to the mother’s life.
