Bishop Pindel trapped by protesters in Grojec church over priest's removal

On 4 October 2026, Bishop Roman Pindel of the Bielsko-Żywiec diocese in southern Poland visited the village of Grojec, near Oświęcim. He came to deal with the removal of the parish priest, Fr Józef Zborek, whom many parishioners held in high regard.

The bishop first met the parish council and then went to the church for Mass. A large crowd gathered, with local media reporting hundreds and some outlets several thousand people. Protesters shouted support for Zborek, and some entered the church and disrupted the service. Reports say the crowd kept the bishop from leaving, and he left the parish only after midnight, escorted by police.

The diocese said the removal had been upheld on appeal by the Vatican office that handles such cases, and it was therefore final. It cited problems found in a 2023 inspection concerning the records of Mass intentions. Zborek himself said he accepted the decision in obedience and urged his supporters to stay calm. The standoff drew national attention in Poland and became the background to later Church intervention in the diocese.