As reported by Polskie Radio Wrocław, Cardinal Henryk Gulbinowicz is no longer an honorary citizen of the capital of Lower Silesia:

Twenty-eight councillors voted to strip him of the title of honorary citizen of Wrocław. Those opposed were Bohdan Aniszczyk of the Alliance for Wrocław club, and Tadeusz Grabarek and Dariusz Ślusarek of the Modern club. Janusz Chudzik, Piotr Maryński and Robert Pieńkowski of Law and Justice abstained. Andrzej Kilijanek and Michał Piechel (Law and Justice), as well as Jarosław Krauze of the Alliance for Wrocław club, did not vote.

“I am not making assessments in criminal terms or in any other terms. I believe that if any circumstances reflect adversely on an honorary citizen of the city, those circumstances should be clarified,” Jacek Sutryk, Mayor of Wrocław, said in an interview with PRW.

Let us recall. On Monday morning, at the age of 97, Cardinal Henryk Gulbinowicz died. On 6 November, the Apostolic Nunciature in Poland announced that the cardinal had been banned from participating in any celebrations or public meetings and from using episcopal insignia. He was also deprived of the right to a funeral service and burial in the cathedral.

A statement published on the Apostolic Nunciature’s website said that “as a result of an investigation into the allegations made against Cardinal Henryk Gulbinowicz and after analysing other accusations concerning the cardinal, the Holy See decided to ban him from participating in any celebrations or public meetings and from using episcopal insignia”.

In recent years, Father Gulbinowicz had been publicly accused of sexual abuse, covering up for paedophile priests and cooperating with the Security Service.

Did John Paul II know about priests’ paedophilia?

In connection with recent reports concerning high-ranking officials of the Catholic Church covering up paedophilia, the question arises whether Pope John Paul II knew about the crimes and did nothing about them. It is a fact that John Paul II eased the penalties for priests molesting children in 1983. A recently published Vatican report on the American cardinal Theodore McCarrick, in turn, indicates that John Paul II may have known that the hierarch was committing paedophilia and nevertheless promoted him.

Watch a short feature about John Paul II and paedophilia.