Piotr Franaszek appointed to lead Polish Church abuse commission

Polish bishops have appointed historian Piotr Franaszek, a professor at Jagiellonian University, to chair a newly established independent commission tasked with investigating sexual abuse of minors within the Catholic Church in Poland. The commission aims to examine the extent of abuse in Polish dioceses and religious orders dating back to 1945.

During a plenary meeting in Zakopane, the bishops approved revised statutes for the commission of independent experts. These statutes will be submitted to government authorities to secure a legal personality for the body, ensuring its status is distinct from the Polish Bishops’ Conference.

The appointment has drawn mixed reactions. Robert Fidura, a survivor of abuse, expressed concern regarding Franaszek’s perceived political ties to the conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party, noting that Franaszek served as a PiS city councilor in Kraków from 2006 to 2010. Fidura stated, “I hope that the professor leaves his political connections aside and proves himself to be completely impartial and independent.”