Pretext: A Conservative Polish Archbishop Resigns

On 24 February, Francis accepted the resignation of Archbishop Andrzej Dzięga, 71, of Szczecin-Cammin, north-west Poland, following a media hysteria over a case of alleged homosexual abuse.

The Vatican press office didn't give a reason for the early resignation.

The case dates back to the 1990s and involves Rev Andrzej Dymer, who is alleged to have abused four boys at an orphanage. According to the accusation, the church had been aware of the allegations since 1995 but took no action. The accused died of cancer in early 2021.

In 2008, Dymer was convicted of homosexual abuse of minors by a Church tribunal. He appealed, but the case was not resolved before his death.

Monsignor Dzięga is one of the better bishops in Poland. During the Covid hysteria, he encouraged the faithful to receive Holy Communion on the tongue and to continue using Holy Water.

Picture: Andrzej Dzięga © wikicommons, CC BY-SA, #newsGsxdkhyvqg