A Polish priest who was a spokesman for World Youth Day 2016 has left his religious order after admitting he fathered a child.
Fr Tomas Kijowski left the Salesians in Poland in June after he admitted he had a girlfriend and he had fathered a child.
But Polish media only found out about this recently.
A Salesian spokesman said: “It is true that Fr Tomasz Kijowski left the religious community in June, although he is still formally a member.
“The process of expelling him is currently underway. The reason for this situation is that he has fathered a child.”
Others who have left the Polish Church recently include Dominican Jacek Krzysztofowicz, who, in his valedictory sermon spoke about finding “true love”.
Fr Kijowski met his 22-year-old partner at a planning meeting for the World Youth Day, which will be held in Krakow next July, Italian news agency Ansa reported.
Pope Francis is due to attend Poland’s World Youth Day, which will bring together thousands of young Catholics from around the world.
World Youth Day organisers expect the event will attract more than 2 million people.
Earlier this year, Fr Kijowski predicted World Youth Day would also have an “activating effect” on young people in Poland.
“The young have been leaving the Church here — we need some shock, some impulse, to halt and reverse this trend,” Fr Kijowski told KAI, Poland’s Catholic information agency, in March.
“I wouldn’t want to suggest we’re working out some vision for a Christian Poland, but we want to initiate certain processes which will continue after the World Youth Day, instead of ending when the Pope flies out.”
Sources