On behalf of Pope John Paul II, the Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Józef Kowalczyk, accepted Bishop Tadeusz Rybak’s resignation. Tadeusz Rybak had served as bishop of Legnica since 1992. The reason for his resignation was reaching the age entitling him to step down from office.
The resignation follows from the Code of Canon Law. It states that “a diocesan bishop who has completed his seventy-fifth year of age is requested to submit his resignation from office to the pope (...)”. The pope decides whether to accept the resignation and appoint a new bishop.
The newly appointed Bishop Stefan Cichy had previously served as auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Katowice.