New research in Poland: John Paul II is said to have known about the abuse

According to new documents and a book, Pope John Paul II, when he was archbishop, allegedly learned about child sexual abuse by his priests and closed it for them. The Polish government responded with protest.

During his time as Archbishop of Krakow, the future Pope John Paul II allegedly knew about sexual abuse by priests under his authority and covered up the crimes. This was reported by two investigative journalists from Poland and the Netherlands.

On Monday, private Polish television station tvn aired a report by journalist Marcin Gudowski entitled “Blinders. John Paul II knows.” Since then, more than a million people have watched the documentary, according to the broadcaster. A book by Dutch journalist Ekke Overbeek on the same subject was published today in Polish. The title is “Maxima Culpa”. Overbeek said in December that he had “rock-solid evidence” that the Polish pope knew about the sexual abuse.

Documents must prove complicity

Using the example of three priests already known to have abused children, journalist Gudowski demonstrated that the late Pope was aware of their wrongdoing. Documents from Karol Wojtyla’s time as archbishop should prove this. Accordingly, the bishop transferred his close confidant, Pastor Sadus, to Austria without informing Archbishop Cardinal Franz König of the allegations against the priest in his recommendation letter.

In a statement from the time, Communist Poland’s Secret Service noted that the Curia was “deeply concerned that it was impossible to cover up this scandal caused by Sadush’s behavior”. In his documentary, Gudowski talks to a witness who says he brought Wojtyla’s attention to the abuse 50 years ago in a one-on-one conversation. Wojtyła did not respond.

The government is behaving treacherously

The Polish government did not respond to the charges against John Paul II. Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki posted a photo of the pope from one of his first pilgrimages to Poland — along with the pope’s famous quote to the Polish people at the time: “Don’t be afraid.”

On Wednesday, Morawiecki tweeted a full video of the pope’s scenes set to classical music. Morawiecki also appears in the picture next to the Polish flag and says: “Today war is raging outside our eastern borders. Unfortunately, there are groups in our society that are trying to declare war on Poland, not an army, but a war civilization.”

And Radosław Brzózka from the Ministry of Education said: “John Paul II attacks Polish cultural suicide bombers. They bank on the intellectual illiteracy of the masses and the cowardice of the Catholic elite.”

Now the Institute of National Remembrance (IPN) wants to check what information it can find in the archives of the communist secret service regarding sex crimes committed by priests. This was reported by daily newspaper “Rzeczpospolita”.

The pro-government media was outraged

Pro-government television channel TVP reported: “Years after his death, he is increasingly attacked by private media sympathetic to sections of the opposition in his home country.” TVP questioned the report on Wojtyła, saying the revelations were mostly based on Secret Service documents. Their credibility is therefore questionable, according to the experts interviewed. A TVP documentary proves the opposite: John Paul II took action against sexual abuse during his time as archbishop.

Magdalena Pachuska, a member of the National Council for Radio and Television, spoke of the “harmful attack” and warned: “The limit has been crossed.”

And Krakow Archbishop Marek Jedraszewski said at his service Tuesday evening that the report contained “lies and manipulations,” according to the diocese. He described the documentary as “an operation to destroy the shining memory” of the Pope. At the same time she was the protector of man, marriage and family. He only called sexual abuse an “evil” and said it was much more prevalent in other areas.

A majority of the Poles, according to the survey for the investigation

The revelations come at a time when the role of Pope John Paul II is being debated in Poland. According to a poll by the Polish opinion research institute IBRiS at the end of December, almost two-thirds of Poles spoke in favor of investigating how John Paul II handled abuse cases.

The late Pope is still considered by many in Poland to be an important official in the country, a national hero: his photos can still be seen on crystal dishes in Polish living rooms. Painted images hang next to other figures of saints in churches, statues of the pope in public squares in many cities, and most of the most important and largest streets are named after him, including in Warsaw.

This recognition came not only for his leadership of the church, but also for his support of the anti-communist resistance and for his many pilgrimages to his homeland at a time when Poland seemed cut off from the world for most of its people.

The journalist is sure that Wojtyla knows about it

The issue of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church has also been discussed in Poland before. The 2019 documentary “Tilko Ni Mow Nigomu”, “Tell No One”, reports on the sexual abuse of children by priests. It has been viewed 24 million times so far.

Now investigative journalist Gudowski asserts: “Today no one can say that Karol Wojtyla, John Paul II, knew nothing about pedophilia cases in the Church. Karol Wojtyla, Archbishop of Krakow, replaced pedophile priests, fully aware of what they had. Done.”