Commentary of the Delegate of the Polish Bishops’ Conference for the Protection of Children and Young People to today’s article of Rzeczpospolita daily

Today, as the Church, we are taking steps to embrace and listen to those who have been wronged, and to provide them with psychological and spiritual assistance. We try to reach out to them - reads the Commentary of the Delegate of the Polish Bishops’ Conference for the Protection of Children and Young People to today’s article published in Rzeczpospolita daily.

The full text of the commentary follows:

After reviewing the results of a desk research conducted by journalists of Rzeczpospolita in state archives, including those of the Institute of National Remembrance, I can think first and foremost of those who were victims of sexual harassment as children. It is embarrassing that we have for decades failed to recognise their suffering and abuse. Once again, I would like to offer apologies. We were also often naive in dealing with the perpetrators of these crimes. At the same time, it is shocking how often the well-being of children was disregarded by the services of the totalitarian state, who took advantage of their suffering to enlist the perpetrators as collaborators of the communist security forces.

Today, as the Church, we are taking steps to embrace and listen to those who have been wronged and, responding to their needs, to provide them with psychological and spiritual assistance. We try to reach out to them. To this end, we have launched an awareness raising campaign in parishes. It has been prepared and is implemented by the Office of Delegate of the Polish Bishops’ Conference for the Protection of Children and Young People and the Conference’s Saint Joseph Foundation, with the support of the Permanent Council of the Polish Bishops’ Conference. In this way, we want to firmly send a message of readiness to embrace and support all those who have been wronged by the clergy and religious, even in the distant past.

The journalists have done a tremendous amount of work. This study confirms the need for further archival research in the Church. In March of this year, the bishops decided to appoint an independent team of specialists to look into the practical aspects of earlier dealing with crimes committed by some clergy against minors. Together with my colleagues, I am currently preparing a draft framework of its work, which I will submit to the bishops at the next plenary meeting of the Polish Bishops’ Conference in June. I sincerely hope that studies of independent experts will help the Church in Poland to reckon with the past in all honesty, considering the historical and social context. Those who have been wronged expect this of us. We need this as the Church to rebuild trust and credibility indispensable for the implementation of our mission.

+ Wojciech Polak Metropolitan Archbishop of Gniezno, Primate of Poland Delegate of the Polish Bishops’ Conference for the Protection of Children and Young People Translated by M. Turski / Office for Foreign Communication of the Polish Bishops’ Conference