Catholic Church presses Gov't to reject in vitro fertilisation

(AP):

Poland's influential Roman Catholic Church appealed Monday to the country's politicians to oppose in vitro fertilisation, calling the procedure akin to eugenics.

The procedure is a controversial topic in the predominantly Catholic country, where conservatives believe it should be declared illegal because it leads to the destruction of human embryos. Poland also has one of the lowest birth rates in the European Union and the state has been struggling to find ways to encourage families to have more children.

It is an issue that takes on added urgency with a population expected to age in coming decades and a ballooning deficit that will make it harder to support the aged.

In vitro fertilisation is legal in Poland, but the procedure is expensive and a real option only for families with money. After Prime Minister Donald Tusk took office in 2007, he promised state financing for it, but the legislation was bogged down in heated debate and controversy. There are several proposals floating in Parliament, including plans put up by conservative opposition lawmakers that would make it illegal.