A Vatican spokesman would not confirm a statement by the World Jewish Congress (WJC) that Pope Francis has ordered an investigation into the ban on kosher and halal slaughter in Poland.
“I do not know about this,” spokesman Father Federico Lombardi told Polish journalists on Tuesday.
After Ronald Lauder, the president of the World Jewish Congress, met with Pope Francis on Monday to discuss the ban put in place last December by Poland’s Constitutional Court - when it ruled that “ritual slaughter”, without the animal being stunned before killing, was incompatible with animal rights legislation – the WJC released a statement saying: “The pope specifically expressed concern about the bans on kosher slaughter in Poland”.
The statement continued that the Pope has, “directed Cardinal Kurt Koch, the president of the Vatican’s Commission for Relations with the Jews, to investigate and host a follow-up meeting as early as next week”.
Spokesman Father Federico Lombardi would only confirm to journalists that Cardinal Koch was looking into the issue.
On 12 July, Poland’s parliament upheld the ban, though the Polish government has asked constitutional lawyers to look at legislation on ritual slaughter and if the ban contravenes Poland’s law on religious freedom.