The Expert Commission on Bioethics of the Polish Bishops' Conference has emphasised that children conceived through in vitro fertilisation (IVF) may not be denied baptism, provided that the requirements of canon law are met.
In a statement published on Thursday published on Thursday states: "Every child, regardless of how it is conceived, is endowed with personal dignity and is fully subject to natural law as well as civil and ecclesiastical rights."
At the same time, the Commission reaffirms the Catholic Church's rejection of artificial insemination. The procedure is "a serious violation of the moral order".
Artificial procreation is therefore "incompatible with the dignity of the child", as it is "profoundly treated as an object" in the procedure, according to the statement.
Despite this moral assessment, the commission emphasises the right of the children concerned to the sacraments of the Church: "Baptism is such a great gift of divine love in salvation and in the life of the Church for this child too - as for every other human being - that no one may deny it to it simply because it was conceived using methods other than marital intimate sexual intercourse," explains the expert commission.
The decisive factor is the "well-founded hope" that the child will be brought up as a Catholic.
Previous requirements for baptismal sponsorship remain in place
The statement also refers to situations in which children are born through surrogacy or the adoption of embryos.
As far as possible, the biological parents should be entered in the baptismal register.
The Commission also emphasises: "In no case may two women be entered in the baptism register as the parents of the child. If the sperm donor is unknown, the field for the father remains empty."
In addition, the Bishops' Conference reiterates previous guidelines on godparenthood: people in same-sex partnerships and transgender people are not allowed to be godparents if there is a "risk of offence or confusion in the church community".