Discursive Strategies of Catholic Churches in Assisted Reproduction Technology (ART) Regulation: Poland and Spain in Comparison

Comparative studies on morality politics in Catholic-majority states reveal two somewhat contradictory findings. Whereas most Catholic hierarchies intervene in the public debates and decision-making processes on the regulation of ART, in the long run, however, the national Church hierarchies did not prevent the implementation of more permissive regulation. Secondly, Catholic hierarchies issue letters to politicians or mobilize for public protests, notwithstanding low societal support of such intervention and different degrees of political or moral authority. Despite the gap between successful rhetoric and failed success in influencing policy designs in line with the traditional Catholic moral teaching, the discursive strategies of Catholic Churches in the course of debates on morality policy legislative debates are a relevant and under-researched dimension of the process. Drawing on Habermas´ translation proviso, the paper compares the discursive Catholic interventions on ART politics in Poland and Spain and discusses their relevance for the way morally contentious issues are framed. Furthermore, the paper argues that by focusing primarily on the impact of religion on policy output fails to notice the strategies that religious actors develop to become reliable political partners.