Pope Leo XIV orders a visitation of a Polish diocese after the Grojec standoff

Rome is stepping in. Pope Leo XIV has ordered an apostolic visitation, a formal inspection on behalf of the Holy See, in the Bielsko-Żywiec diocese in southern Poland.

What happened?

The diocesan press office announced the news on Monday, in a very brief statement. The visitation will be carried out by Bishop Krzysztof Wętkowski of Włocławek. He chairs the Legal Council of the Polish Bishops' Conference and, according to the diocese, has received all the authority he needs from the Holy See.

The Apostolic Nunciature in Poland (the pope's diplomatic mission) has already informed the local bishop, Roman Pindel. What we don't know yet: when the visitation starts and what exactly it will cover.

Why is it happening now?

The backdrop is a two-year dispute in the parish of Grojec, near Oświęcim. Bishop Pindel removed the parish priest, Fr Józef Zborek. The diocese accused him of serious breaches of canon law (the Church's internal legal code). The priest appealed to Vatican bodies, but they ultimately sided with the bishop.

Many parishioners did not accept that. On 4 October, when the bishop came to the church in Grojec, hundreds of people gathered to demand that their priest stay. They surrounded the building and blocked the way out, including for the bishop. He was verbally and physically attacked and left the parish only after midnight, escorted by police.

What's next?

For now, there is little detail. The short announcement does not say what the visitation will look at, and no date has been given.

The Bielsko-Żywiec diocese was created in 1992 and includes more than 200 parishes. The dispute in Grojec has been the most visible crisis in it for weeks, and the pope's decision shows that the Vatican is now watching closely.