(CNA) Poland’s bishops expressed concern Saturday about a rise in acts of desecration.
In a statement issued at the end of their plenary assembly Aug. 29, the bishops called for greater respect for religious sensibilities.
“The bishops … express their concern about the increasingly frequent cases of profanation of places of worship and religious symbols, which cause pain to so many people,” the statement said.
“The Polish bishops’ conference appeals for respect for the religious feelings of believers and those for whom these places and symbols constitute a unique value regardless of their worldview.”
The bishops did not cite any examples in their statement, but it followed a high-profile incident in July in which protesters attached a rainbow flag to a historic statue of Christ in the capital, Warsaw.
Cardinal Kazimierz Nycz of Warsaw described the incident outside of the city’s Holy Cross Church as a “desecration” that “caused pain to believers, parishioners of the Holy Cross Church and many residents of the capital.”
At their Aug. 27-29 gathering, the bishops also marked the 30th anniversary of the return of religion lessons to Polish schools following the collapse of communism. They discussed the present state of religious education, as well as the proper preparation and formation of catechists.
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