Pope allows Polish Bishop to resign following Vos estis investigation

Bishop Jan Tyrawa by Krzysztof Mizera — own work — CC BY-SA 4.0

Pope Francis on Thursday accepted the resignation of Jan Tyrawa, the bishop of Bydgoszcz in northern Poland, following an investigation into allegations of covering up clerical sexual abuse of minors.

In accordance with its usual practice, the Press Office of the Holy See gave no reason for the resignation. A communiqué from the Apostolic Nuncio to Poland, Archbishop Salvatore Pennacchio, noted that Pope Francis had appointed Bishop Wiesław Śmigiel of the neighbouring diocese of Toruń as Apostolic Administrator of Bydgoszcz.

However, an unsigned statement from the Apostolic Nunciature, issued only in Polish, said that the resignation came at the conclusion of an investigation conducted by the Holy See “into the reported failings” of Bishop Tyrawa “in cases of sexual abuse of minors by some priests working in the diocese of Bydgoszcz.”

Described by the nunciature as offering “clarifications with regard to the resignation” of Bishop Tyrawa, the statement said the investigation was carried out in accordance with the motu proprio Vos estis lux mundi, after the Holy See was formally notified of allegations against the Bishop.

The Nunciature gave no details of the charges against Bishop Tyrawa, nor regarding the nature of the abuse he is alleged to have covered up. The statement offers no details regarding the findings, recommendations, or final outcome of the investigation. The statement did explain that there were factors beside the alleged abuse coverup, which contributed to the bishop’s decision to resign.

“At the conclusion of this investigation,” the statement said, “given other difficulties in the management of the diocese, the Bishop of Bydgoszcz tendered his resignation from office, which was accepted today by the Holy Father.”

Bishop Tyrawa is one of several Polish prelates mentioned in a series of exposés purporting to detail clerical sexual abuse and cover-up in the country.