Why are you surprised?
Leaving aside those who don't care or don't care, we Poles can only talk about the church in two opposite ways.
Some call for the defense of the church against the attempts of leftist forces that want to destroy our centuries-old traditions, family, and civilization.
Others would like to take religion out of schools and castrate the hierarchs first and then let them go.
Unfortunately, we live in a country where most issues are seen only in two colors, which has been strongly supported by the government that has been ruling us for five years, which has turned polarization and division into black and white into its main electoral weapon.
In our more than thousand-year history, the Catholic Church has often been remembered ingloriously, but has just as often shown its great positive power. For me, the greatest historical sin of the Church, the consequences of which we suffer to this day, is the consolidation of the patriarchal order of our civilization, but on the other hand, we must give the Church credit for providing much-needed hope, strength and support at many turns of our difficult history.
History, however, is of secondary importance. What is happening today is more important. And today the Catholic Church is consumed by a severe disease. Its symptoms include failure to notice the changing world, fraternization with the authorities, practicing politics, debauchery and paedophilia, and the effects are a decline in authority and emptying churches.
Of all these unpleasant symptoms, pedophilia arouses the most emotions. But it is not pedophilia itself that is the church's biggest problem. Its biggest problem is hiding it, pretending to fight it, mouths full of platitudes and lack of action. Pedophilia will probably never be completely eliminated among priests. However, the point is to fight it with full determination and consistency. To act, not to talk. Today, the church pretends, not to act.
In my opinion, the only effective solution to this problem is the elimination of celibacy. Saint Paul, born in the first decade after Christ, known as the Apostle to the Nations, wrote: "It is good for a man not to have intercourse with a woman. However, because of the danger of debauchery, let each have his own wife," and in a 2002 report on the sexuality of Poles by Professor Lew Starowicz, we read: "[celibacy] ...is associated with the activation of defense mechanisms and substitute behaviors that have a negative impact on the clergy and their relationships with the faithful. The most frequently mentioned are: idealizing or depreciating women, compensatory striving for honors, wealth and recognition, lack of a sense of reality and knowledge of the daily life of the faithful, aversion to lay people and exalting oneself over them, development of the theology of sin, anti-sexual obsessions, pharisaism and hypocrisy, suppression of sex leading to health disorders, excessive interest in sexual matters among the faithful, substitute behaviors (homosexual, pedophilic), etc." and "according to Western studies, up to 22% of priests reveal homosexual orientation, 80% masturbate, and pedophilia was diagnosed in 2% of the examined priests."
In recent days, another outrageous case has broken out. It seems that the personal secretary of our Pope covered up paedophilia in the church and did not inform the Pope about these matters or did not inform him properly. The Primate of Poland calls for the establishment of a Vatican commission to clarify the Dziwisz case.
This commission will of course not explain anything. The only result of its activities will be the conclusion that Cardinal Dziwisz knew nothing about it, because he did not deal with these matters.
For me, it is not important in this case whether Dziwisz did or did not conceal the reports of paedophilia or whether he did or did not convey the correct picture of the situation to the Pope.
Much more important and truly shocking is the attitude of this one of the highest hierarchs of the Polish church in this matter. I watched a long interview he gave to one of the television stations and listened to fragments of his telephone conversations with journalists from the same station. There is not a shred of humility in his statements. There is no empathy towards the victims. Dziwisz does not apologize. He does not want to take any responsibility. He distances himself. Instead, he complains that only in Poland is it possible to treat - as he puts it - "the humble servant of the Pope" in this way.
I do not expect, nor do I expect, that Dziwisz will explain these matters, tell how it really was. It seems to me, however, that from the bishop of Krakow, one can expect a bit of humility, empathy and responsibility. In my opinion, what Dziwisz says disqualifies him not only as a bishop or priest, but above all as a human being.
The question arises whether the Dziwisz case burdens our Pope? I think absolutely not. And I am not writing this just because in our country, we are only allowed to speak well of our Pope, i.e. as of a saint. The eighties and nineties, the key years of John Paul's pontificate, were a festival of hidden pedophilia in the Catholic Church all over the world, evidence of which has been coming to light in recent years in many countries. I believe that our Pope did not commit the sin of concealing, covering up, or denying the sexual crimes of the church hierarchy. However, even if he did not know anything about it, he will be burdened by the fact that as the head of the church he was not aware, had no idea what was happening in the church. This is a sin of omission, carelessness, lack of concern. I absolutely do not want to say that this disqualifies our Pope, or that he should be stripped of the title of saint. The Pope was, is and will be for me one of the greatest Poles and an undisputed authority, even though there are cracks in his image, even though he too committed sins, even though he was unable to see that the church he headed required thorough repair.
I think that things are going very wrong in the Polish church and there is no indication that this will change.
I am a Catholic. Perhaps not too fervent and not practicing enough.
In my life I have met many fantastic priests who radiated a true calling and a passionate faith that they never imposed on others, who were able to speak human language, and for whom the most important mission was to serve others.
Today I don't see such priests. Perhaps they are in church, but their voices don't get through and don't count. Instead, I see a church full of pride, uninterested in other people, political and mute in really important matters, a church that is sliding down a slippery slope into the abyss.
I don't want a church like that. I'm leaving it.
