Saint Joseph’s Foundation of the Polish Bishops’ Conference

Abstract

In order to understand the need for the appointment, role and tasks of Saint Joseph’s Foundation of the Polish Bishops’ Conference (hereinafter referred as “Foundation”), it is necessary to present an outline of the context of its establishment which, in practice, means the history of the structural reactions of the Polish Church to cases of sexual abuse of minors and vulnerable persons by clergy or other persons officially connected with the institutions of the Polish Church (for example by vows, employment etc.). The turning point and actual beginning of these activities was June 2013, when the Episcopal Conference of Poland appointed Father Adam Żak SJ to the position of the coordinator of the KEP (Episcopal Conference of Poland) for the protection of children and youth (Fragment tekstu).