The 25-year-old who stole a crosier from the monument to the Holy Father appeared before the court on January 11. As reported by lwowecki.info:
The court sentenced him to a fine and community service. When issuing the sentence, it certainly took into account that the 25-year-old has no income. The fine is 150 zlotys, while the community service amounts to 40 hours.
Let us recall. The monument to Saint John Paul II in Lwówek became widely discussed at the beginning of November last year, when – as reported by the portal lwowecki.info – the eyes of the pope on the monument in front of the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary were painted over, tears were added, and an inverted cross was painted on the mitre. The crosier that the pope held in his hands was also stolen.
The church dean learned about the matter from the portal's journalists.
In our coverage, we added:
The matter may be connected with reports of the Vatican corporation covering up clerical child sexual abuse. It is known that the Polish pope repeatedly promoted bishops who had been accused of child sexual abuse or molesting seminarians. Details of these events can be found in the book titled Gomora, written by the theologian and former Jesuit Stanisław Obirek and the lawyer Artur Nowak, who represents victims of clerical sexual abuse.
“After the report was filed, officers from the Misdemeanors Unit took up the case. During the explanatory proceedings, police officers identified and, a few days ago, arrested in Lwówek Śląski a 25-year-old man suspected of the theft,” Sergeant lwowecki.info explained at the end of November Olga Łukaszewicz, press officer of the District Police Headquarters in Lwówek Śląski.
The man confessed to the crime. The spokesperson added:
The 25-year-old was unable to logically explain why he committed the act.
Theft is usually punishable by three months to five years in prison, but in this case the value of the losses did not exceed 500 zlotys, so the act was classified as a misdemeanor.