A Catholic doctor in Poland refused to perform an abortion on a patient, even though the fetus had severe abnormalities. Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that Bogdan Chazan must choose the law over his faith.
“Regardless of what his conscience is telling him, [a doctor] must carry out the law,” Tusk said. “Every patient must be sure that […] the doctor will perform all procedures in accordance with the law and in accordance with his duties.”
Chazan is one of 3,000 doctors in the mostly Catholic nation that have signed a “Declaration of Faith,” vowing that they will practice their professional life in harmony with their faith. The declaration opposes abortion, euthanasia, in-vitro fertilization among other things. Chazan is the director of the Holy Family Children’s Hospital in Warsaw.
Doctor Wanda Półtawska wrote the “Declaration of Faith,” because “some elements of ‘modern medicine’ go against Catholic morals.” Though Poland has strict abortion laws, it does permit them “before 25 weeks of pregnancy and if the mother’s life is in grave danger, if the fetus has severe birth defects, or if the pregnancy is a result of rape or incest.” The woman Chazan refused, filed a complaint with the Polish health minister.
Poland’s culture is changing. It citizens support less restrictive abortion laws. In 2011, a bill to legalize all abortion was narrowly defeated in parliament. But the bill, which had to have 100,000 signatures to be considered, received 600,000 signatures in just two weeks.
Secular cultures will gradually impose more and more restrictions on religious freedom. If religious freedom is negotiable, then there is no boundary in other religious matters like the day of rest or worship.