‘You Have to Exonerate the Human Being’: How They Handle Sex Abuse Cases in Poland

Last updated on: February 22, 2019 at 1:45 pm by Deacon Greg Kandra

‘You Have to Exonerate the Human Being’: How They Handle Sex Abuse Cases in Poland 2019-02-22T13:45:47-05:00 Deacon Greg Kandra

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Not all abusers are treated the same way in every country, as The Wall Street Journal makes clear:

One Sunday morning last year, the Rev. Jacek Wentczuk stood before his congregation and made a startling admission. He was a convicted sex offender, he said, found guilty in 2012 of molesting a 15-year-old girl in a nearby town. His bishop was considering transferring him.

Parishioners rallied to the side of the popular Catholic priest, who insisted he had done nothing wrong. They brought flowers and children’s drawings to persuade church leaders to keep Father Wentczuk in his job in this small town in eastern Poland, where he is known for ministering to the sick and dying.

“We gave him a chance,” said Monika Landzberg, a doctor at the local hospital. “This crime cannot weigh on a man until the end of his life.” Father Wentczuk didn’t respond to requests for comment.

There are deep splits in the world-wide Catholic Church over how to handle cases of sexual abuse involving priests, with some clergy and laity arguing that any member of the clergy who sexually abuses a minor should be removed from ministry. Others call for a more flexible, lenient response.

In the U.S., the church has adopted a zero-tolerance approach. Church leaders in Australia, Canada, Ireland and elsewhere also have moved aggressively against clergy who transgress.

But in many other places, including Poland, a less-strict standard prevails. The faithful often defend accused priests. And church leaders can be reluctant to punish abusers.

“You have to exonerate the human being,” said the Rev. Bogdan Jaworowski, a priest in southeastern Poland, whose congregation rallied behind a colleague convicted of distributing child pornography.

…The American rules “do not always transport or travel well,” said the Vatican’s top sex-abuse prosecutor, the Rev. Robert Geisinger, in a rare 2017 public statement of the Vatican’s thinking on disciplinary policy. ”Cultural sensitivity is needed in understanding how abuse is understood.”

Of the 20 countries with the world’s largest Catholic populations, including Poland, only the U.S. church has a “zero tolerance” policy, according to Anne Barrett Doyle of BishopAccountability.org, a U.S. organization that tracks abuse cases and supports zero tolerance.

In Italy, the national bishops’ conference decided in 2014 against requiring bishops to report abuse to civil authorities. Students and teachers in Spain have formed human chains to protest on behalf of accused clerical sex offenders, and Italian Catholics have demonstrated for their own.

Previous Post

February 22, 2019

Need a Little Love Today? Here.

Next Post

February 23, 2019 Bombshell: Cardinal Admits Church Destroyed Abuse Files

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category "Mad Men" 9/11 advent All Things New Amazing video amazing videos amazon america Anglicans Anti-Catholicism art ascension thursday ash wednesday Atheists baltimore Bible Bishops Blogging bonnie engstrom Books bridgeport Brooklyn Chaplains children christian art christmas Church Churches CNEWA Converts criticism Deacons Death Penalty easter eastern christian Eastern Christians Ecumenism Education education Eucharist Europe euthanasia Evangelization Exorcism Family Feasts Gay rights Good Friday Great links Great Moments in Journalism Hanging with the saints heather renshaw Hispanic Catholics Hispanics History homelies Homilies Humor Hymn of the Week Immigration indianapolis Inspiration Interfaith news ireland Jesus Jews Journalism Judaism lent Liturgy logos Marriage Mary Media Medical news Mental health Middle East Monks Movies Music Muslims My world and welcome to it New Evangelization new york News Nuns Parenting Parish life peoria Persecution politics Politics Pope pope francis pope john paul Prayer Preaching Priests Pro-life Quote of the day radio rebecca frech ripp Ripped from the headlines rippred from the headlines Sacraments saints Scripture sex abuse Sex abuse crisis SEX ABUSE CRISIS TAGGED WITH: SEX ABUSE CRISIS The people in the pews the visitation project theatre This & that Thomas Merton Trappists TV Uncategorized uncategorized VATICAN Vatican vocation Vocations Voices & Views Women Worth a thousand words Writing Year of Faith year of mercy young people

Select a Month December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who died at the end of Genesis?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Reuben Simeon Jacob Joseph

Books by This Author Books by Deacon Greg Kandra

See All Titles »