Polish priest removed as rector, allowed to continue living at parish

Published: 2004-11-22

WARSAW, Poland (CNS) -- A Polish priest who for years has been criticized as being anti-Semitic has been removed as rector of his parish, but will be allowed to continue living there. The Archdiocese of Gdansk said Msgr. Henryk Jankowski had been dismissed as rector of the northern port city's St. Brygida Church, which is now administered by his former assistant, Father Krzysztof Czaja. The archdiocese said Nov. 17 that Msgr. Jankowski would be free to continue living in his parish or could work as chaplain at a nearby convent of Brigittine Sisters. Msgr. Jankowski, a former Solidarity union chaplain, has frequently attracted controversy. In 1998 he was suspended temporarily for anti-Semitic statements. Boguslaw Duffek, chairman of a committee in support of Msgr. Jankowksi, called the priest's removal was "unconvincing, unjust and based on untruthful and undocumented allegations" and said parishioners would organize a demonstration and hunger strike.

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