Statement of support for the open letter by the survivors of sexual abuse within the Church in Poland
As the survivors of sexual abuse in the Church in Poland and their allies, we express our support for the demands contained in the open letter to the Council of the Polish Bishops' Conference (KEP) dated May 13, 2024.
The content of the letter:
As the survivors of sexual abuse within the Church, we express our bitter disappointment and anger regarding the issues raised by Zbigniew Nosowski in his article "'Could the Bishop Finally Hear My Voice?'. Questions for Archbishop Tadeusz Wojda" published on the website http://wiez.pl/. Considering the fact that the described matters pertain to the scandalous treatment of the survivors in the diocese led by Archbishop Tadeusz Wojda, who was elected as the President of the Polish Bishops’ Conference by a majority of your votes, we’ve decided to address you all through this open letter.
"No-one should have to beg for justice in the Church.," wrote the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors in its appeal last year. However, since in many Polish dioceses survivors are still treated as objects, and the suffering of individuals is deemed less important than the interests of the institution, we have formulated a list of demands aimed at improving this situation. These include:
1. Suspension of Archbishop Tadeusz Wojda from his duties as President of the Polish Bishops’ Conference pending clarification of the allegations of negligence against him. In the event that the allegations against him are confirmed, he should be removed from the position of President.
2. A meeting of the Polish Bishops’ Conference with a Delegation of Survivors during the plenary session in 2024.
3. Issuing a letter on behalf of the Polish Bishops’ Conference to the Holy See in support of the idea of changes in canon law (including granting survivors the status of a party). We can present proposals for specific changes that will improve the situation of survivors in the Church during the meeting.
4. Determining the exact date for the start of the work of an independent commission investigating cases of sexual abuse in the Church since 1945.
5. Introduction of a nationwide list of good and bad practices regarding those aspects of contact with survivors that are not covered by canon law.
6. Appointment of a Spokesperson for the Rights of Survivors in the Church, trusted by us.
7. Supplementing the guidelines of the Polish Bishops’ Conference with the obligation for bishops to reach out to survivors they learn about from the media.
8. Involvement of at least one woman in each diocese in the system of aid for survivors.
Brothers, when in November 2023 one of us, Tośka Szewczyk, handed you her open letter along with "A Plate of the Survivors," many of you claimed that it was an unnecessary move. The time has come to say: let us check. Let us check whether an open letter that is not accompanied by symbols that are important to us will actually draw your attention and bring the desired results.
At the same time, we guarantee you that as long as we have the strength, we will, in one way or another, demand respect for the dignity of survivors and the observance of basic Christian moral principles in the Church in Poland. We hope that you will stand on the same side in this fight.
Tośka Szewczyk
Robert Fidura
Jakub Pankowiak
Ewa Orłowska
Tomasz Idzikowski
Justyna Steranka
Anna Strużyńska
Regina Krzywoń
Andrzej Hurny
Katarzyna Saß
Tomasz Statnik
Ks. Kuba
Anna Misiewicz
Mariusz Milewski
Bożydar
Justyna Zalewska
Barbara Borowiecka
Estera Isakowska
Dawid W.
Sebastian Krasucki
Iwona Bednarz-Major
Anna Malak
Tomasz from Szczecin
Dagmara Kopek
Tomasz Szaramowicz
Karolina Smolnicka
Arkadiusz Górecki
Ewelina Nadzieja Zamojska
and 18 anonymous survivors
Tośka Szewczyk Contact the author of the petition