At Polish cross festival, Catholics atone for abuse scandals, vandalism

WARSAW (POLAND)
Crux

Sept. 17, 2019

By Jonathan Luxmoore

Polish Catholics participated in Masses and penance liturgies for recent scandals over sexual abuse by clergy and acts of vandalism and profanation at local churches.

“The vision of Christ’s suffering can transform human hearts, spurring recognition of sins and a request for forgiveness,” said Bishop Wieslaw Mering of Wloclawek.

“Today, we are being told to have fun, enjoy life, be ourselves and realize our desires. But the path to salvation doesn’t lead through egoism,” he said.

Preaching to 60,000 people at a Mass in Wloclawek Sept. 14, he said Poland and Europe needed “women and men with courage and love to stand under the cross of Jesus” and to show themselves to the world as “true witnesses to the Gospel.”

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