Pope Francis accepts resignation of archbishop who turned a blind eye to child abuse

(Patria) - Representatives of Pope Francis in Poland said yesterday that he accepted the resignation of an archbishop accused in a documentary of turning a blind eye to child abuse.

The 2021 documentary by news channel TVN24 alleged that priest Andrzej Dymer, who died that year, abused children and that the archbishop of the Szczecin-Kamien diocese, Andrzej Dziega, had known about it since 1995 but took no action.

"The Holy Father Francis accepted the resignation of Archbishop Andrzej Dziega from the post of Archbishop of Szczecin-Kamien," the Polish Apostolic Nunciature, equivalent to the Vatican's embassy, announced on its website.

A statement on the website of the Szczecin-Kamien Archdiocese also said that Dziega is retiring, Hina news agency reports.

Neither statement referred to the allegations against Dziega, who served as metropolitan archbishop since 2009.

The archdiocese did not immediately respond to a request for comment, nor did Dziega.

TVN24 reported yesterday that after the documentary, Dziega removed Dymer from his directorial position at a medical institute in Szczecin, northwestern Poland.

Polish media reported that in 2008, Dymer was convicted by a church court for sexual abuse of minors. Dymer appealed, but the appeal was not resolved before his death.

Poland, one of the most devout Catholic countries in Europe, has witnessed a series of scandals related to child sexual abuse, and the church said two years ago that it received 368 reports concerning abuse of minors between July 1, 2018, and December 31, 2020.

According to 2021 data, 71 percent of Poland's population identifies as Catholic.