A meeting of bishops with representatives of abused persons in the Church was held at Jasna Góra
"An extremely open, sincere meeting", "a historic meeting", "a very substantive conversation" – this is how the bishops’ meeting with representatives of the abused was described by its participants during a briefing held at Jasna Góra on 19 November this year.
https://episkopat.pl/doc/221216.Na-Jasnej-Gorze-odbylo-sie-spotkanie-biskupow-z
https://episkopat.pl/doc/221266.A-Jasna-Gora-si-svolto-un-incontro-tra-i-vescovi-e-i
At the beginning of the briefing, the spokesman of the Polish Bishops' Conference Fr Leszek Gęsiak SJ stressed that the meeting was personal and closed to the media. "It took place with a great deal of trust, openness and great sincerity" – he said. ‘"This meeting was something absolutely unique" – the spokesman of the Polish Episcopate underlined.
The Delegate of the Polish Bishops' Conference for the Protection of Children and Young People Archbishop Wojciech Polak expressed his gratitude for the meeting at Jasna Góra. "I am grateful to my brothers from the Episcopate for taking part in this meeting" – he pointed out. He reported that the participants of the meeting sat in a circle so that better conversation could take place.
"We experience again and again this truth that the hurt in the Church by certain clergy is not just about a certain application of the law" – Archbishop Polak said, but "centres around the hurt suffered by some of our brothers". He added that the personal testimonies of those harmed touched his heart. Archbishop noted that "in these testimonies there was so much love spoken towards God and towards the Church" that "light shone through from the darkness of sin".
Archbishop Polak stressed that the idea was for the bishops to see the great contribution of abused persons to the protection of children and young people in the Church.
Robert Fidura, a representative of those abused in the Church, said the meeting was very emotional and "ploughed through emotions". "It was an extremely open, frank meeting" – he stressed. "We were able to present everything of importance to the bishops, but we also received very personal feedback from them" – he added.
"I am extremely grateful that we have been able to take the bishops a little bit by the hand and we are starting to move in one direction, we are starting to look at certain things very similarly" – Robert Fidura pointed out. "The first steps have been taken" – he stressed.
Jakub Pankowiak, one of the signatories of the Open Letter to the Bishops, admitted that "today's meeting was a historic one". He pointed out that it was not only to talk about the injustice, "but at this meeting, we were able to be partners in the conversation and we were able to present our expectations. It seems that sometimes they are difficult to accept, but they are necessary so that we can create together the future of those harmed in the Church".
"From now on it will be much easier for us to understand each other, it will be much easier for us to go together" – assessed Jakub Pankowiak. "I would like us to be able to act together for the good of the harmed, for the good of the Church, and for the good of society" – he pointed out.
Bishop Artur Ważny, Bishop of Sosnowiec, stated that we are now walking on one road, a common road. He recalled the retreats led for priests by those who have been harmed. "Today, we not only discussed, but we met at the level of the heart" – he said.
"It was a very substantive conversation, about concrete problems, about concrete issues. About what we can and should do and we don't have to force it on each other, but that it should be a certain way of life of the Church" – underlined Bishop Ważny.
Press Office of the Polish Bishops' Conference
