Polish bishop resigns amid alleged sex scandal at diocese

The Vatican has accepted the resignation of a Polish bishop who stepped down after a sex scandal involving clergy from his diocese in the southern Polish city of Sosnowiec.

According to Poland’s state news agency, the parish has been hit by a string of scandals over the past few years involving priests under the administration of Bishop Grzegorz Kaszak.

In a farewell message on the parish website this week, Kaszak thanked the congregation for its “effort and dedication in building the Church of Sosnowiec,” but did not give a reason for his resignation.

He asked parishioners for forgiveness for his “human limitations,” saying “if I have offended anyone or neglected something, I am very sorry.”

In a press release Tuesday, the Polish Apostolic Nunciature said, “The Holy Father Francis accepted the resignation of Bishop Grzegorz Kaszak from the service of Bishop of Sosnowiec,” and named Archbishop Adrian Galbas of Katowice as his replacement.

The allegations that precipitated the bishop’s resignation are connected to an incident in September, widely reported in Polish media, in which a priest identified as Fr. Tomasza Z allegedly hosted several other priests and a male prostitute at his apartment.

An ambulance was called after the sex worker lost consciousness, though paramedics were initially not allowed inside to attend to the victim until police were called.

Fr. Tomasza Z has since been dismissed, according to PAP.