The woman wrote to our editorial office:

After Mass, at meetings—let me stress, with children aged 7–15, including children who had not yet started primary school and were six or younger—Father Janusz handed out the cards shown below (cards depicting successive stages of fetal development—editor’s note). As a mother, I believe that instilling children with foolish knowledge that should not be spoken about within church walls is at least inappropriate, and even extremely unserious.

The reader also objected to the scope of the questions on a quiz given by the catechist to eighth-grade students aged 13–14 who were preparing for confirmation.

“Sick views that should not be promoted at this age in a religion quiz,” the reader wrote to us. “There should be questions about Jesus, not this... This is unserious.”

She also provided the list of questions from the quiz:

  • What right is taken away from a child conceived through artificial insemination?
  • What if more embryos are created during IVF (the in vitro method of infertility treatment—editor’s note)? What happens to them?
  • What canonical penalty does the Church impose in the event of a termination of pregnancy?
  • How does this process proceed?
  • Is formal cooperation in terminating a pregnancy a serious offense?

In response to an inquiry about the event at the church during the retreat, we received a detailed explanation from Janusz Wilk, parish priest of the Parish of Our Lady of Częstochowa in Gościszów.

From March 20 to 22, traditionally beginning on the Third Sunday of Lent, parish and school retreats were held in the Parish of Our Lady of Częstochowa, led by Rev. Tomasz Kancelarczyk of the Little Feet Foundation from Szczecin.
Father Tomasz spoke beautifully about the value of every human life, using as an example his own fear of people with disabilities and Down syndrome. At the same time, he warned against discrimination and exclusion of people with physical and intellectual disabilities. At the end, he himself handed out, to anyone who wished to receive them, the items shown in the attached photograph: a “Jasio” figurine and cards for playing “Jasio” (the card game “Play Jasio,” whose rules are similar to the game “Old Maid,” except that the cards feature drawings of children and the aim of the game is to educate about unborn children—editor’s note) as souvenirs connected with the retreat discussions. The cards that caused surprise in fact present, in a very accessible manner consistent with scientific knowledge about prenatal development, the successive stages of human development. One could even say that these cards offer a biology lesson with a sense of humor. In this context, I encourage you to visit: openstax.org. Of course, Rev. Tomasz did this with my consent and full support, as I share his views and the content of the lessons he conducted.

Father Janusz Wilk also competently presents the opinions and recommendations of the Catholic Church for the faithful concerning abstaining from conscious parenthood and infertility treatment.

“The subject of life, its value and protection, is an absolutely fundamental message arising from the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which the Church proclaims,” Father Janusz Wilk wrote to the editorial office. “From the very first pages of Scripture, we learn about the value of every human life, when after Abel’s death God says to Cain: "What have you done? Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground! So now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand" (Gen. 4:10). It is therefore no wonder that Saint Pope John Paul II, beginning his encyclical on the value and inviolability of human life, Evangelium Vitae, wrote in its very first sentence: "THE GOSPEL OF LIFE is at the heart of Jesus’ message",” the clergyman adds.

Editorial comment

If you want to be a conscious parent and care for a wanted child, you can use available contraceptives, the “morning-after” pill, and you can legally terminate your own pregnancy. You can find plenty of non-stigmatizing information about abortion in our interview: Justyna Wydrzyńska: Abortion Is OK. A Conversation About Abortion Without Guilt or Shame.

If you intend to plan your life and motherhood or fatherhood according to the principles of faith, remember that beneath the beautiful words about the holiness and inviolability of every human life, your own life is trivialized and you are forced to give birth to children and carry unwanted and unplanned pregnancies to term. After carrying an unwanted pregnancy to term, remember, you remain with the child without genuine support from the clergy or the Catholic Church, apart from spiritual support and assurances that after death God, in whom you currently believe, will reward you for this sacrifice.

You can choose for yourself how you want to live and whether you want to send your children to religious education classes and be part of the Catholic Church. At apostazja.eu you will find practical information about leaving the Church. Leaving the Church does not mean abandoning your faith, only breaking contact with the institution and the clergy.