Top Polish cleric apologises for 'pain’ inflicted by priests
PR dla Zagranicy
Grzegorz Siwicki
16.05.2019 12:15
One of Poland’s top clerics has apologised for “pain, tears and suffering” inflicted by Roman Catholic priests amid a wave of soul searching over a spate of child sex abuse allegations.
Cardinal Kazimierz NyczPhoto: Wojciech Kusiński/Polish Radio
In an interview with the country’s Rzeczpospolita daily, Cardinal Kazimierz Nycz said he was shocked by stories of sexual abuse of children and minors by priests described in the documentary film Tell No One, which was posted on YouTube on Saturday.
“I was greatly disturbed by the enormous tragedy and pain of the victims,” the cardinal said.
Cardinal Nycz was one of the bishops who refused to make an appearance in the documentary when approached by the filmmakers.
In the Rzeczpospolita interview, he explained his decision by saying that as a rule he does not give public statements if not sure of the context in which they may be used.
“If I had known the film would be a voice of the victims I would have had no doubt,” Nycz said. “I apologise for my refusal to take part in the film.”
Earlier, Archbishop Wojciech Polak, the Primate of Poland, apologised for “every wound inflicted by the people of the Church” and said the film was not an attack on the Church.
Archbishop Polak has called off his planned visit to South Korea to attend a conference of the Korean Peninsula Peace-Sharing Forum in Seoul.
The 13-member executive of the Polish Bishops’ Conference is due to gather in Warsaw on May 22 to discuss a programme of action to protect minors against sexual abuse.
(mk/gs)