The Vatican has issued a document imposing discipline upon the clergy in Poland. Their public activity outside the church now requires written permission from bishops.
'The Vatican brings the clergy to order'. 'The Holy See admonishes the church in Poland'. Such are some of the comments in the Polish media today, after the Vatican nuncio, archbishop Jozef Kowalczyk issued a harshly worded statement imposing discipline on Polish clergy. It reminds them that they must obey the church laws and that their public activity needs written approval of their superiors. A spokesman for the Polish Episcopate, father Jozef Kloch says the document touches upon some worrying developments in the catholic church in Poland and aims at introducing discipline.
'This does not mean some kind of a military discipline – it is about internal unity of the church. This text is an instrument designed to help diocese and religious order superiors.'
Examples of threats to the unity of the church were presented by Polish bishops during their recent visit to the Vatican. Bishop Tadeusz Pieronek, professor of canon law, mentions the activities of two Catholic broadcasters: Radio Maryja and TV Trwam, on which the Polish Episcopate has no say or the controversial priest, Father Henryk Jankowski, who used to market wine bearing his name and now is opening an institute – again bearing his name, without asking what his superiors think about it. Arguments that these undertakings should not concern the Church are misleading the faithful and may be an encouragement for breaking the law, says the communiqué. Perhaps if the situation were clearer, a group of priests would not have siphoned a 400 million zloty, or about 128 million dollar credit from a bank, bishops recall.
A Catholic commentator Halina Bortnowska agrees that this tug of war between some priests and the bishops threatens the unity of the church in Poland. Robert Strybel, Warsaw based catholic media commentator, too, perceives some worrying developments in the church but he is not sure whether in the final account the Vatican’s warning will be effective and have a positive impact.
The Vatican’s warning will be sent to bishops in dioceses and superiors of religious orders. It is also to be discussed at a plenary meeting of Polish bishops when they meet at the end of January.
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