Posted on 06/15/2018 7:21:02 PM PDT by CondoleezzaProtege
The Irish referendum—in which 66% of voters chose to allow parliament to legalize abortion—underscored the decadeslong decline of the Catholic church as a political force in that nation. It also accentuated a mirror image in Poland, the last major nation in Europe whose Catholic Church still dominates politics, society, and culture.
Poland was once among the easiest places in Europe to get access to an abortion. Under Communism, ferries brought pregnant women from Sweden and Denmark for the procedure, which was free of charge. That changed at the end of the Cold War, when the Catholic church emerged as a widely-trusted voice endowed with moral authority.
Now, Polish law prohibits abortion except in cases where the pregnancy results from a crime—such as rape or incest—threatens the health of the mother, or where the fetus suffers severe and irreversible impairment. A poll last week found 56% of Poles would like to keep the current abortion law as it is.
The divergent paths of Ireland and Poland show the bifurcating direction of the Catholic church in Europe, as its clergy on the continent seek to ride turbulent tides of secularism, nationalism, and the shifting focus of the Church itself.
Countries like Ireland and Poland are left to choose their own paths as they seek to fill pews in countries where populations are stagnating and young people are emigrating to wealthier, but more secular states like the U.K.
In Ireland, church sex-abuse scandals and secular liberalism have chipped away at both the Catholic church.
In Poland, however, nationalism is on the upswing. Polish voters sense that Europe is headed down a separate, more secular path, and the ruling Law and Justice party campaigns on this, portraying itself as a defender of threatened moral values.
(Excerpt) Read more at wsj.com ...
Francis is simply a far left puppet. The aim of the Leftists is to cheapen human life all across the board. They have to start with the weak or helpless however, the unborn, especially unborn with birth defects, and the terminally ill. Once they have those two groups locked in for on-demand termination, they can look for new groups and new excuses to kill more and more people. The end game is to be able to kill anyone you want. Is it for pleasure? It is sometimes. The primary use of a free hand to kill anyone is to amass complete control and ultimate power over a society. Then, you can get whatever you want, sex with anyone, expensive clothes, lavish homes, decadent entertainment, etc. Those pesky traditional and bourgeoise morals get in the way every time however.
I don’t see Poland folling Ireland. Two totally different cultures... Thank God.
I just spent a week traveling in Poland and will return there very soon. It amazed me to see the “Old Values” culture in action. Unlike Ireland, the Poles had a taste of the anti-religion communism and chose the antidote, i.e. religion. It was a pleasure to see people respect each other. One of the most amazing observations was the way the young people helped the elderly on and off the trams, rather than being disgusted that they are in their way as I have observed in USA and Ireland.
The Irish never had the difficult experience/opportunity of communism and are at a totally different place... self worship.
Poland has Auschwitz where the memorial has the clothes and shoes as a reminder of over 220,000 children that were executed by Hitler. Any pro-abortion person being shown this atrocity would surely change their values. Life is precious.
>> The Irish never had the difficult experience/opportunity of communism
To say the murdering oppression of the British Empire is the preferred option?
Sorry, FRiend. As an Irish/Pollock, I’m having a hard time with your disregard of Ireland’s battles and travails.
This pro-abort BS is not in Ireland’s heart. I guarantee you that.
The Irish were able to hold on to their religion for strength during their battle with the British. When they shed much of their British control, they self actualized and shed their religion as well.
The Polish people were not allowed to hold on to their religion for strength as Communism demands that it is the religion. Thus when Communism failed, the people reached to religion for their strength.
Twenty years ago when the Irish youth were in full rebellion, I was interviewed by a radio station in Dublin about the turmoil. I explained that it was all part of the developmental process of society as a whole, just as an individual goes through the same stages.
I’m old enough to remember when it seemed like most police officers, most bishops, and many of the priests & nuns were Irish. Irish American families usually had four kids each.
So what happened in the old country to turn it secular and pro abortion like this? Scotland and Britain are islamicized secularist hellholes. Did Ireland just follow the rest?
Ireland has had plenty of shameless commies since Karl Marx. Ireland’s intelligentsia were horrified when Irish independence took on a nationalist and Catholic facade. That was not what they intended, and they’ve won in the long run.
You mean G.B. Shaw was among the horrified?
Shaw, who remained a Brit, was a minority of almost one, and was cast aside in Ireland.
Hopefully Poland will remain one of the most pro-life and conservative countries.
The only Catholics left in Ireland are the Poles who moved there.
Pray for Poland.
I’m rapidly becoming an Eastern Europe Patriot.
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