Poland’s archbishop this Wednesday rejected allegations of alleged cover-ups against John Paul II, saying they are “part of the ongoing attacks and persecutions” that the church has been targeted throughout history.
Marek Jedraszewski, the current archbishop of Krakow, compared the accusations against the pope to the assassination attempt that the then pope underwent in 1981 in St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican.
Following an investigation by a Polish television channel, released Monday evening, John Paul II was accused of covering up cases of sexual abuse of minors within the Polish Church while holding the posts of Archbishop and Cardinal of Krakow.
The investigation, which lasted two and a half years, contained documents and testimonies related to cases of sexual abuse committed by three Polish priests. One of the victims who testified confirmed that he had reported the matter directly to John Paul II and that he had promised to take action.
However, the then cardinal Karol Wojtyla is accused by several people, including members of the church hierarchy, of never having charged or punished the perpetrators.
Speaking at the homily at the Basilica of the Holy Trinity in Krakow, the archbishop said that “the attack on Pope John Paul II in 1981 was an attempt to silence those who preached the truth about God” and that this second attack based on “lies and innuendo”.
He added that the abuse of minors is “a really disgusting evil that has managed to invade church life” and assured that it has become “a kind of ideology in other kinds of environments.”
At this time of the “second attack” on the Pope, his defense is necessary and it is necessary to recover “the feelings and ecstasy” that John Paul II gave to the Church, he added.
The day after the unveiling of the investigation, the Office of the Polish Bishops argued that it is “impossible to establish clearly” the nature of the acts attributed to at least one of the accused priests, as the allegations are expressed on the basis of documents made available by the then political police of the Polish communist government.
“A fair assessment of Karol Wojtyla would require further investigation,” the statement read.
Also on Tuesday, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki responded to the investigation by posting a photo of John Paul II with the caption “Don’t be afraid” on his profile on the social network Facebook.
The contents of the inquiry have reignited controversy surrounding John Paul II’s alleged responsibility in covering up cases of sexual abuse of minors in the Polish church, and come at a time when the issue is the subject of international attention.
In Portugal, an investigation into sexual abuse within the church is ongoing. The Independent Commission for the Study of Child Sexual Abuse in the Catholic Church has already validated 512 testimonies and points to a minimum number of victims of approximately 4,815.
The testimonials received refer to events that took place between 1950 and 2022.
25 cases were reported to the Public Prosecution Service.
Source: DN
