Piotr Natanek was suspended as a priest in 2011. However, since then he has continued to attract a following, described by the Polish Press Agency (PAP) as a "sect".
During a "sermon" delivered at Easter 2022, Natanek said, "A child conceived out of a test tube, without God, is a product and not a being. Not a being, it is an animal."
Onet approached the Kraków Archdiocese for a comment - the Archdiocese responsible for Natanek's suspension in 2011. They have responded distancing the Church from the former priest:
"We have done everything we could have as the Kraków Curia in the matter of this "ex", we might say, priest," replied spokesperson Father Łukasz Michalczewski.
Although Poland is a Catholic country, surveys have shown that an overwhelming majority of Poles support the use of In Vitro Fertilisation - around 86% of the country. The Sucha Beskidzka court's verdict does not seem set to cause controversy.
Freedom of speech in Poland is curtailed by what Freedom House describes as "harsh insult laws":
"People [in Poland] are generally free to engage in private discussions without fear of harassment or detention by the authorities. However, Poland has harsh insult laws, including against offending religious feelings and insulting the president, which have been increasingly used to pursue criminal cases in recent years."
Since Natanek has set up an "alternative religion" an appeal might be expected either on the basis of free expression or freedom of religious practice. Under the laws of several countries Natanek's language would count as hate speech, but rather not incitement to violence which is sometimes the limit of permissible speech. The conviction is not final and may be appealed.
Sources: PAP, Onet.pl, mp.pl (portal for medical patients), Freedom House
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