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A Polish TV report has claimed that Pope John Paul II, when he was Archbishop Karol Wojtyla, knew about sexual abuse within the Catholic Church but failed to take appropriate action.
The report aired on TVN24, a major news channel in Poland, and has sparked controversy among Catholics and non-Catholics alike.
A former priest named Marek Dziewiecki provided testimony for the report, claiming that he informed Archbishop Wojtyla about sexual abuse within the Church in the 1970s.
Dziewiecki claims that he was told to keep quiet about the issue and that nothing was done to address it.
The report cites other sources claiming that Archbishop Wojtyla was aware of the problem but chose not to act.
In the March 6 story, TVN24 named three priests whom the future pope had moved among parishes or sent to a cloister during the 1970s, including one sent to Austria, after they were accused of abusing minors.
TVN24 said its investigation found that two of the priests, Eugeniusz Surgent and Jozef Loranc, eventually served short prison terms for the abuse.
Allegations of sexual abuse have plagued the Catholic Church for decades, and the issue has been particularly contentious in Poland in recent years.
The country has a deeply religious population, and the Catholic Church has long significantly influenced Polish society.
However, in recent years, scandals involving priests and allegations of abuse have rocked the Church’s reputation and led to calls for reform.
Full investigation called for
The TVN24 report is likely to add fuel to the fire, with many people calling for a full investigation into the allegations.
The report comes at a time when the Catholic Church is already facing intense scrutiny over handling sexual abuse cases in Poland and worldwide.
The Polish-born pope is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the Catholic Church in the 20th century.
He served as Pope from 1978 until he died in 2005 and, for the Catholic Church, was quickly canonised a saint.
The canonisation took place in 2014.
However, the allegations made in the TVN24 report raise serious questions about the legacy of Pope John Paul II and his handling of the sexual abuse issue.
10/03/23 Updated with two unattributed paragraphs removed.
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