Bishop Pindel safely left the parish after parishioners protested against the dismissal of the parish priest

As RMF FM journalist Paweł Konieczny reports, around At 1 a.m., Bishop Roman Pindel and the priests accompanying him safely left the area under the escort of numerous police officers gathered at the site. Earlier, residents blocked the exits from the church and rectory. There were also fights.

The protesters were waiting for an explanation from the ordinary of the Bielsko-Żywiec diocese. He had to face the crowd.

"Let this bishop take up the first stone and cast the first stone if he is innocent, because I believe that there is no man without guilt, and our faith teaches forgiveness and love above all. When I said in the room where I met with the bishop and his companions that in my opinion the Lord Jesus would not do such a thing, he told me to leave," said one of the protesters.

In total, several hundred people took part in the protest.

"He told us absolutely nothing."

The parishioners wanted to take advantage of the arrival of the Ordinary of the Bielsko-Żywiec diocese to find out why their parish priest had been dismissed from his position after almost thirty years of service.

He told us absolutely nothing. Apparently there is some canon law that says he can't speak out. But we didn't want him to come out and say, "There's this charge or this." Just to reassure us: "It will be fine, it will be nice," said one of the parishioners.

There were shouts: "Give the parish priest back", "He's running away", "You coward".

A large group of policemen arrived at the scene. Approximately 1 enabled the bishop and curia employees to safely leave the parish area under escort.

Residents announce further protests to find out the reasons for dismissing the parish priest.

How does the diocese explain the decision?

In the justification for the bishop's decision, published on Friday on the website of the Bielsko-Żywiec diocese, we read that "Father Józef Zborek, parish priest of St. Lawrence Parish in Grojec, was dismissed from the office of parish priest due to identified and proven serious irregularities in the performance of this office."

According to the diocese, the procedures provided for by canon law were followed. The priest had every right to defend himself. He exercised the right to appeal to all instances of the Holy See.

"His defender was a professor, a recognized authority in the field of canon law. The Dicastery for the Clergy confirmed the correctness of the Bishop's decision, and the proceedings were definitively ended by the decision of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura," the statement said.

"Father Józef Zborek received the decree of the Apostolic Signatura and knows that he no longer holds the office of parish priest. In a conversation with the Bishop and Vicar General, he received several proposals for living out his retirement," the diocese added.