WARSAW, Poland: Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of a Polish archbishop accused of covering up the sexual abuse of a minor, the Vatican announced Saturday.
Archbishop Andrzej Dziga, 71, of Szczecin in northwestern Poland, is “resigning,” the apostolic representative, or diplomatic envoy, representing the Holy See, it said in a statement.
Polish media reported allegations of negligence and cover-up of pedophiles in the Catholic Church. The Gazeta Wyborcza website reported that the pedophile case rocking Poland has entered a new phase, with the results of two internal church courts already sent to Rome.
Francis has made the fight against sexual assault in the church one of the main missions of the Holy See and has supported a “zero tolerance” policy in the wake of widespread scandals.
Although clergy and staff are required to report abuse, what is revealed in confessions is still considered private. Victims’ rights activists are demanding better accountability.
