Communiqué from the 405th Plenary Assembly of the Polish Bishops’ Conference
Headed by the Most Reverend Archbishop Tadeusz Wojda SAC, the 405th Plenary Assembly of the Polish Bishops’ Conference took place in Łomża on June 8-10, 2026.
1. The selection of Łomża as the venue for the Plenary Assembly of the Polish Bishops’ Conference was connected with the celebrations of the centennial of the Diocese, created on 28 October 1925 by Pope Pius XI through the bull Vixdum Poloniae unitas. The bishops celebrated the Jubilee Eucharist in the Cathedral of St Michael the Archangel in Łomża, which, originally a parish church, is celebrating the 500th anniversary of its existence this year.
2. The bishops expressed their gratitude to Pope Leo XIV for the encyclical Magnifica humanitas. It expresses the Holy Father’s concern for human dignity, the integral development of the human person, and the common good in the face of the increasingly widespread presence of artificial intelligence and the development of new technologies in various realms of life. The bishops encourage the faithful to read the encyclical, to engage in personal reflection and to follow the Pope’s guidance.
3. During the Assembly, the bishops reflected on the situation of marriages and families in Poland ten years after the publication by Pope Francis of the post-synodal Apostolic Exhortation Amoris laetitia. The bishops considered how to provide more effective support to engaged couples, spouses and parents in the everyday challenges of family life, and how to ensure that the Church remains a place of connectedness, support and hope for families. They emphasised that the family remains the primary and most significant environment for the transmission of the faith and for learning love, responsibility and solidarity. It is imperative to develop pastoral ministry in a way that it is not limited to preparation for the Sacrament of Matrimony, but accompanies spouses and families in all stages of their lives, especially in times of crises and hardships. The bishops indicated that today the concern for marriage and the family requires both new pastoral initiatives and, above all, the consistent defence of their anthropological foundations, on which the future of succeeding generations rests.
4. The bishops familiarised themselves with the core assumptions of the draft programme of parish catechesis. They emphasised the need to move from an understanding of catechesis as a means of implementing a predetermined programme towards accompanying the individual in the process of personal growth in faith within the community of the Church. The bishops analysed various methods of implementing catechesis in dioceses and parishes. They recalled that the renewal of this form of pastoral ministry does not mean the abandonment by the Church in Poland of religious instruction in schools, but is rather its indispensable complementation within the broader framework of evangelisation.
The bishops emphasised the necessity of the involvement and proper preparation for parish catechesis of lay people, consecrated persons and priests, through their seminary formation and subsequently through ongoing formation. They indicated the need for joint training programmes on parish catechesis for both laity and clergy.
5. The Polish Bishops’ Conference continues its efforts to bring about changes to the harmful decisions of the Ministry of National Education concerning the teaching of Religious Education in schools, the incompatibility of which with the Constitution has been confirmed by rulings of the Constitutional Tribunal. The bishops once more call for the introduction of a mandatory choice between classes of Religious Education and Ethics. While recognising the importance of health education in the upbringing of the younger generation, they cannot agree to its implementation on the basis of the curriculum proposed by the Ministry of National Education. The possibility for pupils to opt out of those parts of the curriculum relating to human sexuality does not resolve the problem, since the adopted curriculum framework continues to undermine the primacy of marriage as the union of a man and a woman and of the family as a community of mother, father and children. The bishops argue that human sexuality should be presented from a family-oriented perspective and not merely as an aspect of health. In the near future, the Polish Bishops’ Conference will adopt a detailed position on this matter.
6. In view of the approaching end of the school year, the bishops direct particular words of gratitude to teachers, catechists, educators, and parents for their responsible contribution to the upbringing of the younger generation. At a time of ongoing changes and experiments within the Polish education system, the responsibility for implementing an educational process ingrained in objective and fundamental universal values rests upon their shoulders. The bishops thank them for their commitment and witness to an integral approach to the education of pupils, one that takes into account the major aspects of life: intellectual, spiritual, moral, family-oriented and patriotic. Furthermore, the bishops support all initiatives of teachers and parents, calling for their recognition as genuine stakeholders and for their meaningful inclusion in the process of shaping the contemporary character of the Polish school.
7. The Plenary Assembly of the Polish Bishops’ Conference completed its work on the draft version of the Memorandum concerning cooperation between the Commission of Independent Experts for the Investigation of Sexual Abuse of Minors in the Catholic Church in Poland and dioceses and religious jurisdictions. The draft will be the basis of discussions with the candidate for Chair of the Commission of Independent Experts, with a view to developing the final version of the Memorandum.
8. Several months ago, a working group was established to develop procedures for the response of ecclesiastical entities to unforeseen crisis situations. Consultations on this matter are currently held between the Polish Bishops’ Conference and the relevant state institutions. A handbook for the administrators of ecclesiastical entities is also being prepared for use during such incidents. Professional training sessions for diocesan delegates responsible for security and for the protection of people and cultural heritage are planned for the autumn of this year.
Praying in the Cathedral of Łomża before the image of Our Lady of Fair Love, through Her intercession, the bishops implored God for the grace of reconciliation and concord in our Homeland. They also prayed for an end to armed conflicts throughout the world, especially in Ukraine and the Holy Land. The bishops entrusted to Mary all matters concerning the Church in Poland and offered their pastoral blessing to their compatriots at home and abroad.
Signed by the pastors of the Catholic Church in Poland present at the 405th Plenary Assembly of the Polish Bishops’ Conference.
Łomża, 10 June 2026
Translated by Marcin Turski
