Representatives of Catholic bishops from across the EU have defended Poland’s legal protections for unborn children from an attack by the European Parliament.

In a letter released on Feb. 25, the bishops said that a resolution of the Parliament, passed on Nov. 26, 2020, would have “a very negative impact” on the way that the European Union (EU) is seen by member states.

The resolution, passed by 455 votes to 145, lamented what it called a “de facto ban on the right to abortion in Poland.”

Up to last year, Polish law permitted abortion in cases of rape or incest, a risk to the mother’s life, or where the unborn child suffered from a life-limiting condition likely to result in the death of the child. However, a Court ruled that the latter, on foetal abnormality, breached the Polish Constitution and would no longer be permitted. Abortion in the other cases remains in place.

In their letter, the bishops said: “From a legal perspective we wish to underline that neither European Union legislation nor the European Convention on Human Rights provide for a right to abortion. This matter is left up to the legal systems of the member states.”