From the Polish Bishops

If you haven't been following ecclesiastical news in Poland of late, Archbishop Stanislaw Wielgus, the Metropolitan Archbishop of Warsaw, resigned nearly one hour before the Mass of his Installation.

He proffered his resignation because of his connection - the extent of which remains somewhat hazy - with secret service of Communist Poland.

The Polish Conference of Bishops met shortly thereafter to discuss their future path. They issued a statement that was to be read in every Polish church this past weekend.

Among other things, the Bishops said:

Therefore we repeat once more: the Church is not afraid of the truth, even if this is a hard, shameful, truth and approaching this truth is sometimes very painful. We deeply believe that the truth liberates, because Jesus Christ himself is a liberating truth. The Church has been struggling with sin inside herself and in the world, to which it is sent, for two thousand years. Sin degrades man and distorts the image and similitude of God in him. The Church does not carry this through under her own power. It does it under the power of the One, who as the only one can make us free from evil. Therefore we begin every Eucharist with a confession of our sinfulness: “I confess to the almighty God…” This is not a void liturgical formula, but a deep confrontation with our weakness and faithlessness before the face of the merciful God. Similarly, we ask in every Eucharist: “Lord Jesus Christ … look not on our sins, but on the faith of your Church.” We are not afraid to confess that the Church is a community of sinners, but at the same time she is holy and called to holiness, since Jesus Christ is her Head, living and working in her – a Saint above all saints. It is before Him that we stand, asking the Holy Ghost to deliver us from evil, fear and our small-mindedness [emphasis original].

Keep the Church in Poland in your prayers.