Bishops in Poland have
condemned an unprecedented “national strike” by women against a
government-backed bill to ban abortion, but denied supporting moves to
jail mothers who procure terminations, reports The Tablet.“Protest marches won't help, since ‘Do not kill’ means ‘Do not kill.’ Although we all have the trace of God’s presence in us, we still don’t respect the life of others - even the life which begins under a mother's heart.”
The Bishop was preaching as thousands of women, dressed in black, staged work stoppages and rallies in Warsaw and other towns on Monday in protest against the proposed tightening of Poland’s abortion law, which is already one of the world’s most restrictive.
Meanwhile, another bishop denied that Polish Church leaders favoured jail sentences for women who had abortions.
“We protect the values of life, but we don't want prison for women - this would be a terrible thing,” said the Bishop of Radom, Henryk Tomasik. “We need a great prayer for our homeland - that goodness will emerge, with respect for the life of all, including the infirm and handicapped.”