Progressive Priest Agrees to Vacate Parish

The News
July 16, 2013

http://www.thenews.pl/1/9/Artykul/141457,Progressive-priest-agrees-to-vacate-parish

Father Wojciech Lemanski during Mass at Jasienica, Tuesday morning.

According to a ruling by Archbishop Henryk Hoser, Father Wojciech Lemanski ceased to be vicar of the parish at 9 pm on Sunday night, but he initially declined to step down, and local parishioners made a show of solidarity.

However, on Tuesday morning, Father Lemanski held a mass in Jasienica in which he thanked his parishioners for their support but encouraged them to accept that he is leaving – for the time being, at the very least.

“If you create an atmosphere around our parish that we have 'Jasienica hooligans' here who are are already beyond listening to another priest... you will do the greatest harm to me, and to the whole Church,” he declared, as cited by Polish Radio.

Later, in a written statement, Father Lemanski confirmed that he would leave the parish while he awaits a decision concerning his appeal.

“I am leaving the parish residence, and outside the parish I will wait for the final decision of the Holy See in this matter,” he pledged.

Father Lemanski has claimed that Archbishop Hoser resented his engagement in Jewish matters, and that during a meeting in January 2010, his superior asked if he was circumcised.

However, Archbishop Hoser wrote in his ruling that the the priest was being dismissed from his parish for “lack of respect and obedience to the bishops, as well as to the teaching of diocesan bishops in Poland on bioethics issues.”

The Church provided the 52-year-old priest with an option of entering a retirement home for clerics. Alternatively, Father Lemanski may work alongside the vicar of another parish, provided that he finds a vicar who consents to this arrangement. (nh)