Poland's Catholic bishops have reiterated support for stricter pro-life controls, after parliamentarians voted down a new abortion ban.

"Human life has such great value. It shouldn't be the object of political bargains," said Archbishop Henryk Hoser of Warsaw-Praga, chairman of the Polish bishops' bioethics committee.

"This draft bill may have needed some corrections, but it was prepared solidly enough. Its rejection leaves us in the same situation as before," he said.

The Church leaders' comments to Poland's Catholic Information Agency came after the Warsaw parliament's rejection of the "Stop Abortion" bill, 352-58, with 18 abstentions. The legislation would have banned all abortions unless a woman's life was in danger. It would also have jailed women for having abortions - a clause which the Polish bishops opposed.