UNDERTAKING ONE’S OWN RESPONSIBILITY

On Saturday 26 September at 11.00 in the aula of ‘Niedziela’ in Częstochowa there was a conference entitled: ‘Life is good!’, accompanying the opening of a pro-life exhibition which had its premiere in spring 2015 in the European Parliament. We talk to Marek Jurek, a euro-deputy and a patron of the exhibition about life defence in the forum of Europe

AGNIESZKA KONIK-KORN: - You are a founder and a patron of an exhibition ‘A short story, why life is so good’ which had its premiere in the European Parliament. Can you tell us how the idea appeared in order to prepare such an exhibition?

MAREK JUREK: - I had been thinking since the beginning of my work in the European Parliament, how to celebrate the National Day of Life (attributing in our country on the eve of Annunciation and the World Day of Life Holiness) with a public exhibition. My friends from the foundation ‘One of us’ – Jakub Bałtroszewicz and Michał Baran got an idea of an exhibition showing the beauty of life. Whereas, I suggested asking Mrs. Marta Dzbeńska-Karpińska for photos; Mrs. Marta is an author of an album about mothers who accepted children who are mostly refused to live. Her direct cooperation with Katarzyna Urban fruited with a beautiful connection of texts and photographs moving hearts.

- What can you say about any particular fruits which this exposition brought to MPs looking at it?

- Many of our colleagues from the parliament arrived, also the ones from the leftist party. They could hear that Poland would be faithful to civilization of life, would represent it in the international forum, and when it is necessary – it would fight for this civilization. In the European Parliament the phrase ‘our values’ is often used when referring to postulates of the modern ultra- liberalism. When I was opening the exhibition, I said that we were organizing it in order to show our values: parenthood, responsible for the weakest, solidarity of generations, belief in the values of every life.

- What does the work of pro-life activists in the European forum look like at present? Are there many Poles among them?

- The European Parliament expresses its attitude against the right for life and with its significant majority of MPs. We must consolidate the opposition of our nations and their European representations. Poland is the best in this fight. As the survey of the CARE for Europe institute showed, we are one of only two countries (the second one is small Malta), whose MPs vote in defence of life civilization. Certainly, it is not sufficient. Not only are protests needed, but also particular defence. As it is said in the Parliament – not only reactive policy but also proactive one. I gained a clear opinion from the European Commission within it, somehow negating the fact that it had demanded an unlimited access to abortion pills from the Polish government.

- Nearly 2 million signatures from 28 pro-life European countries should be a significant vote in the forum of the European Parliament. What is it like in practice? Is the voice of pro-life activists considered in voting?

- I have already spoken about Poland. Among the representation of Hungary, Croatia, Slovakia and Austria, nearly half of population vote for life. Among the MPs of other countries – about one fourth.

- During a conference about the conscience clause which was held in May 2015 in Cracow, you reminded the famous words of Joseph Goebbels: - ‘A lie repeated a thousand times becomes the truth’. In your pronouncement you noted that today we are dealing with a situation when the truth, concerning abortion or in vitro, for example, concealed many times, in the general awareness stops existing. How to inform the society about these issues, so that the way of passing the news would be effective, so that there would be growing awareness of what abortion is, and what in vitro is based on?

- First of all, it is necessary to undertake one’s own responsibility. If we wait for others – we will not gain anything. If we work – responsibility of others will take up. The rightist party of the Polish Republic follows the rule which St. John Paul II taught us: we demand from ourselves, even if others do not demand from us, when they pretend that everything is all right. And, therefore, our colleagues could convince also other clubs in Mazowsze to accept the program of naprotechnology (authentic treatment of infertility) – while the Seym is working on legislation concerning in vitro.

AA

„Niedziela” 39/2015

Editor: Tygodnik Katolicki "Niedziela", ul. 3 Maja 12, 42-200 Czestochowa, Polska
Editor-in-chief: Fr Jaroslaw Grabowski • E-mail: redakcja@niedziela.pl