SW News: Bioethics experts of the Episcopal Conference of  Poland (CEP) have rejected the proposal to allow abortion if the mother has mental disorders. It was on September 5 that the team of experts issued a statement denouncing the proposal that says, “the opinion that the threat to the mental health of a pregnant woman is a premise that justifies the legality of the abortion”.

Abortion can be performed in Poland only in cases of rape or incest and when the health of the woman is in serious jeopardy. Three years ago, the Constitutional Court took away the clause allowing abortion of malformed fetuses. The team of experts said in the statement that during pregnancy, the mental health of the mother could decline and it may have various origins. However, they said that abortion is not the solution.

The experts said, “At first glance, abortion may seem like the only way to alleviate the suffering experienced, but in reality, it is not. The Catholic Church is invariably on the side of human beings because it is a community that particularly protects the most vulnerable and threatened with loss of life.”

They said that there are certain cases in which the mental health of the pregnant woman is affected. However, the right way is to provide comprehensive support such as houses for single mothers, adoption centers, perinatal hospices and windows of life. “These institutions provide support from specialists in various fields, such as psychiatry, medicine, psychology and psychotherapy,” they said.
The experts said more and more men and women are affected by mental health issues and their recovery mandates “therapeutic methods such as pharmacotherapy, psychotherapy and psychoeducation”.

“Abortion is not among the therapeutic techniques used for treatment. The murder of a child cannot be considered a means of restoring a woman's health. An act like this does not fall within therapeutic standards," they said.