Five or six years ago, I was in a seminary in Krakow, and at a dinner had an opportunity to talk to some Polish women about feminism. They told me that the situation is very bad from the feministic perspective in Poland, and my first reaction was – I do not want to believe in that. From that day on, Poland has proved these women were right, when they told me that it is difficult to see any perspective for feminism in Poland.
Since October the 22nd I slowly began to understand what they wanted to say with such pessimism[1]. As we can see it in action, in the 21st century, women are oppressed just like in the Middle Ages or in “good old” Soviet times. This is simply what theocratic[2] and conservative country does. This is what Roman Catholic Church has done since its very beginnings, and the Church won’t stop – why should it? Such decisions from the state clearly state that “they” do not even consider women as reasonable human beings. In a way, this decision is so absurd, that you can’t even make claims about it – what is there to say? In the eyes of Roman Catholic Church, for centuries woman has not been the kind of human being who can make decisions. She is too simple-minded and too sinful. Woman ate from that tree and fed man as well – so woman is the one who is responsible for sin! By the way, there is a question, usually asked by feminist theologians –
where, the fuck, was man at the moment of falling? Where was he, while the woman had the conversation with the snake?
For centuries, and centuries, since theology of Church Fathers, women have been marginalized[4] because of their bodies and because they were thought to be incapable of taking moral decisions; their role was clear – Kirche, Kindern, Kueche.
Then something changed – probably it was liberal and feminist theologies that declared that woman is also ‘Imago Dei’, not only a man; and woman are able to think and act morally without man’s help. The event went so far that it was declared that both, man and woman, are responsible for falling.
But not for the Catholic Church. It stood up like a cliff, even if in some positions they softened the attitude towards women (well, what a generosity!). But KKK still seems to be “the real place” for women in the Church, especially when talking about reproduction.
By the way, ironically, together with this decision Poland stopped also sexual education in schools – it sounds analphabetic in 21st century, but what do we know?
Probably it is just a masterplan of how to bring more people into the world which is already overpopulated, but, as it seems, not by the right race (yes, race – you read correctly, I use terminology from the times of WWII, the term of segregation[3], the term which was used in most horrifying crimes against humanity).
Or is there a masterplan to turn all Poland’s population into Catholics? (Church has tried it already – if you do not believe me, then read the history of the Crusades).
By the way, Catholic women would avoid abortions AND contraception anyway – because Catechism says so (227ff).
If a state tries to establish what is already written in Catechism, as a rule, then it is a sign of weakness of the Church, and not the opposite.
If all Polish women are recognised as having no right of choice, then what is the state trying to do? Penalise them for the original sin?
Or is it some weird “Polish” way, how all nation can be redeemed from the original sin?[5]
Even more – Catechism also anticipates exclusion from Church of those who help perform abortions (probably, there is a new refugee crisis ahead in Europe, but not from Middle East – from Europe to Europe). Will Poland exclude such people from the state?
I sympathise deeply with women in Poland.
The decision about abortion is not an easy one in any circumstances – it is a psychological trauma for woman as well as for man, and it has a long-term effects psychologically.
Abortion is not a method of contraception; it usually is a life changing experience because of variety of very difficult conditions.
But it is about woman’s body, about her personal relationship with God, who, I’d like to imagine, sees all hearts and thoughts. It is not the issue of state.
The rule will have dreadful consequences. There will be mothers who will be forced to live their pregnancy without knowledge if they are about to give birth to alive or a dead baby. There will be families breaking up as they maybe won’t be ready to become parents of a “special child”.
Of course, I feel a real and deep respect towards people who choose to have a ”special child” whatever the illness may be and towards those parents who choose not to. This is a very personal matter, and to my mind it should be every parents choice.
But this is not the matter of the state – it is a serious threat for liberty of women as well as for rights to choose – to be a Christian, or not. It is a new form of inquisition which is re-established when church and state works hand in hand. And it is also a dangerous example for us, who still have the freedom to choose.
. . .
[1] “Poland Abortion Ruling: Protests Spread across the Country”, 24.10.2020., available: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-54669257, accessed 25.10.2020.
[2] Theocracy, political system, government by divine guidance or by officials who are regarded as divinely guided, 04.11.2020., available: https://www.britannica.com/topic/theocracy, accessed 11.04.2020.
[3] Segregation, the policy of keeping one group of people apart from another and treating them differently, especially because of race, sex, or religion, 05.11.2020., available: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/segregation, accessed 05.11.2020.
[4] Marginalize, to treat someone or something as if they are not important, 04.11.2020., available: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/marginalizing, accessed 04.11.2020.
