Polish Catholic Actors and Policy-Reforms Under the PiS-Government: Approaches to Migration and Abortion

In Poland the moral authority of the Catholic Church remains stable and is increasingly supported by the Law and Justice government (2015-present). In 2016 the Church hierarchy pushed the government to illegalise abortion in any circumstance. Opposition to the initiative came from a civic movement - which eventually hindered the ratification of this law - but also a minority of liberal Catholic clerics began rising their voices against the alliance between the Catholic hierarchy and the government in promoting conservative and illiberal policies. This paper will look at the disagreements between liberal Catholics and conservative Catholics, in particular to the extent to which they disagree on whether and how the Church should intervene in the policy process to translate its teaching into secular law. The two groups influenced the government in different ways, and with different results. The paper process-traces church intervention in three policy fields: morality policy, financial support for the church and migration, and concludes that while the liberal clergy intervened against the government in advising for a pro-immigration stance, the conservative hierarchy was more successful when advocating restrictions to abortion, and pushing for increased state financial support to the Church.