Pope John Paul II tried to conceal sexual abuse allegations as archbishop: Polish TV investigation

Pope John Paul II knew about allegations of sexual abuse of children by priests — and tried to cover them up — when he was an archbishop in his native Poland, according to an investigative report that aired on Polish television Monday.

According to TVN24, at least three priests were moved from their dioceses in the 1970s in an attempt by the late pope, who then was known as Archbishop Karol Wojtyla, to squash a potential scandal.

The show found that two of the priests, Eugeniusz Surgent and Jozef Loranc, ended up spending some time behind bars for their crimes.

The broadcast also quoted a letter from the then-future pope to the archbishop of Vienna, in which he recommended Boleslaw Sadus, another alleged abuser, for a position in Austria. He failed to mention any of the accusations against Sadus.

None of the priests were defrocked. Sadus kept in touch with Wojtyla after he became pope in 1978, TVN24 found.

The explosive report was the result of an investigative effort that lasted two and a half years. Through the course of the investigations, reporters spoke with several victims of the alleged sex offenders, their families and former employees of the dioceses.

Producers also quoted from documents from Poland’s former communist-era secret security services.

The report sparked angry reactions on social media.

Radoslaw Brzozkam, an official with the Ministry of Education, accused the show of being made by those pushing for “cultural suicide” of the Polish people.

Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki tweeted a photo of John Paul II greeting a crowd in Poland, captioning it with the late pope’s motto: “Do not be afraid.”

Born in the southern Polish town of Wadowice in 1920, Wojtyla was named archbishop of Krakow in 1964, before becoming pope 14 years later. During his 27-year pontificate, the charismatic and influential pontiff became known for his unwavering opposition to abortion, contraception and same-sex love.

With News Wire Services

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