Polish bishops seek forgiveness for priests who were informers

Published: 2006-03-30

WARSAW, Poland (CNS) -- Poland's Catholic bishops have requested forgiveness for priests who served as secret police informers under communist rule. "The dramatic experiences of Polish history show trust was ... betrayed by certain people of the church -- we are pained by this and apologize to those who experienced distress and harm," the bishops' conference said in mid-March. "But we also stress that the Christian attitude is to extend mercy and forgiveness toward those who show repentance and offer recompense. We are concerned for everyone's salvation, including those who persecuted the church." The statement also criticized the media for sensationalizing reports that about 10 percent of Catholic priests are believed to have acted as communist informers in Poland, although wider secret police recruitment was recorded in some dioceses in the 1980s.

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