지난 달 베네딕트 교황이 추기경으로 임명한 폴란드의 스타니스로 빌구스 주교가 공산정권 시절에 비밀경찰의 정보원이었다는 주장이 제기되어 사퇴압력이 높아지고 있다. 폴란드의 기독교계 언론은 빌구스 주교가 1960년대부터 20년간 교회내 사정에 대해서 공산당 비밀경찰 조직에 제보해왔다는 것이다. 교회의 한 위원회는 이 주장을 뒷받침할 많은 증거가 있다고 발표했다. 빌구스 주교는 공산당원들과 접촉한 사실을 인정했지만 그 어느 누구에게도 해를 끼친 적은 없다고 말했다. 폴란드는 舊敎의 영향력이 공산당 시절에도 매우 컸었다. 폴란드 출신인 요한 바오로 2세의 反共정책이 공산주의 세력을 붕괴시킨 중요한 힘이었다.
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Church: Bishop was communist spy

WARSAW, Poland (Reuters) -- The Polish Catholic Church said on Friday the archbishop of Warsaw, appointed last month by Pope Benedict, had spied for the communist-era secret services.

The Pontiff named Bishop Stanislaw Wielgus on December 6 to succeed anti-communist Cardinal Jozef Glemp in one of the most influential positions in Poland's Church hierarchy.

Soon after, Polish media reported that Wielgus informed on fellow clerics to the communist secret services for around 20 years, starting in the late 1960s. Wielgus has repeatedly denied the allegations.

A special Church commission said in a statement there was sufficient evidence to confirm he was a willing informer.

'There are plenty of important documents which confirm Wielgus' willingness for ... cooperation,' the commission said.

'The documents ... show some opinions of intelligence service officials that suggested that the actions of Stanislaw Wielgus (in the city were he lived) could have done harm to people from Church circles.'

In a statement published by local news agency PAP, Wielgus said he had talked to the secret police to be allowed to travel outside Poland but had never done anyone any harm.

'I know I should not have had any contact with the communist services,' the statement said. 'I regret taking these foreign trips, which were the reason for these contacts. I never did any harm with my words or actions.'

Wielgus is scheduled to formally become archbishop at a mass attended by Poland's president and other high-ranking government officials in overwhelmingly Catholic Poland on Sunday.

He did not say whether he plans to resign, a step widely expected by Church commentators and some Church officials. An opinion poll released on Friday said a majority of Poles believe he should not be formally appointed.

In the 1980s, the Church supported the pro-democracy Solidarity movement and, along with Polish-born Pope John Paul II, played a crucial role in bringing down communism in 1989.

Church historians, however, say up to 10 percent of the clergy may have cooperated knowingly or unknowingly with the Soviet-controlled communist authorities. The Church has so far refused to make their names public.

Commentators have called the scandal surrounding Wielgus's appointment the biggest crisis for the Polish Church in the last 17 years. An editorial of the daily Dziennik said it would be a 'Moral Scandal' if Sunday's ceremony was not cancelled.

The Vatican said earlier it had examined the archbishop's past before the nomination. It refused to make any further comment. Some analysts say Pope Benedict was not aware of the content of Wielgus's files.

The Polish Church said it was the Pope's decision to appoint Wielgus and that it could not make any comment about whether he should be formally appointed at the ceremony on Sunday.

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