Communiqué from the 399th Plenary Assembly of the Polish Bishops' Conference

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Communiqué from the 399th Plenary Assembly of the Polish Bishops' Conference

The 399th Plenary Assembly of the Polish Bishops' Conference was held at Jasna Góra on 18 and 19 November 2024, under the chairmanship of Archbishop Tadeusz Wojda SAC.

1. One of the main topics of the meeting was the Synod of Bishops on synodality, which concluded in October. The participating bishops emphasised the value of the synodal working method. They pointed out the stages and conditions for its implementation at all levels of the Church: from the Bishops’ Conferences, to dioceses, to parishes and communities. Synodality begins with a process of community discernment in the Holy Spirit and openness to His action. In this context, the Synod emphasised the obligatory nature of diocesan and parish councils, which can help to carry out pastoral tasks and develop the ministries of lector, acolyte and catechist already present in the Church for lay people. The synod points to the need for transparency, accountability and evaluation in all ecclesial communities and groups. Although the synodal process is time-consuming, it requires conversion and a culture of dialogue. For the life of the Church it is constitutive and essential, and for a world torn by wars, conflicts and divisions, the synodality of the Church remains a prophetic sign.

2. The recommendations transmitted by the Holy Father Francis in the Apostolic Constitution on the Roman Curia and its service to the Church in the World Praedicate Evangelium inspired the Polish bishops to discuss the new form of the ministry of the Roman Curia and the working methods of the organs of the Polish Bishops‘ Conference: the Plenary Assembly, the Permanent Council or the Presidium of the Polish Bishops’ Conference. Working in small groups, various ways of modifying the functioning of these bodies were discussed. The aim of possible changes is to deepen the synodal style of the work of the organs of the Bishops’ Conference, which calls for mutual dialogue, listening and joint discernment of decisions. It is also about perfecting the relationship between the Polish Episcopate and the offices of the Holy See in carrying out the work of evangelisation.

3. The bishops took note of the measures taken by Caritas Poland in its action to help the victims of this year's floods in Poland. Caritas launched all necessary procedures on the very first day of the crisis. With the support of the Polish Bishops' Conference, a large-scale collection of funds was organised to help the flood victims. In total, receipts to Caritas Poland for this purpose amounted to a record amount of over PLN 71 million. The funds collected allowed food, drinking water, clothing and cleaning products to be given to flood victims immediately. The most affected also received emergency financial support. The bishops express their immense gratitude to all people of good will, to the many volunteers and to Caritas Poland, the diocesan Caritas for all the actions taken and the solidarity assistance to those affected by this disaster. This assistance will continue for as long as it is needed.

4. The bishops heard a report on work on preparing the principles of an independent ecclesiastical expert commission to investigate the phenomenon of sexual abuse in the Church in Poland. A draft document describing the commission's goals and tasks, its powers, the manner of appointment and the scope of its activities is currently being consulted with the Legal Council of the Polish Bishops' Conference. The bishops hope that the commission's research work, its results and recommendations will serve the good of abused persons and the development of the system of response, assistance and prevention built up by the Church in Poland over the past 10 years.

5. Talks between the government side and the Polish Bishops' Conference on the organisation of religion education at school are ongoing. We trust that they will end with a legally guaranteed agreement. At the same time, the bishops express deep concern about the planned introduction of the subject Education for Family Life as an obligatory subject instead of the optional subject Education for Health, some of the content of which contradicts the personal dignity of the child. The regulation of the Ministry of National Education currently being consulted on the shape of sex education at school violates current Polish law, infringes on parents' rights to decide about their children and threatens the proper development and well-being of the child. Integral sex education must include three important conditions for parents and children: family-friendliness, acceptance of one's own sex and voluntary participation. These conditions are fulfilled by the subject Education for Family Life, which has so far been implemented at school.

6. On the first Sunday of Advent, the Church in Poland is launching a new pastoral programme “Pilgrims of Hope”. It refers to the forthcoming Jubilee of the Year 2025 and responds to Pope Francis' invitation to all followers of Christ to open themselves to “the hope that cannot fail” (cf. Rom 5:5). The experience of encountering the living Jesus, who is “our hope” (1 Tim 1:1), through, among other things, the Jubilee pilgrimage, reconciliation with God, penance and the gaining of indulgences, is meant to awaken in every believer the power of hope, the spirit of openness, forgiveness, service and fraternity. This year's Advent will be lived with the awareness that the Lord “loved us to the end” (Jn 13:1), as Pope Francis reminded us in his Encyclical Dilexit nos.

Praying on the thousandth day of the war in Ukraine before the face of Our Lady of Częstochowa, the bishops, through her intercession, ask for a just peace in that country and an end to wars throughout the world. Also commending to God all the affairs of the Church and the Homeland, they give their pastoral blessing to their compatriots at home and abroad.

Signed by the shepherds of the Catholic Church in Poland present at the 399th Plenary Assembly of the Polish Bishops' Conference.

Jasna Góra, 19 November 2024