17 April, 2025

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“Free Father Olszewski!”

Banners in St. Peter's Square recalled the tragedy of the Polish priest held in prison

“Free Father Olszewski!”
Foto Mariusz Talarek

“Free Father Michał Olszewski, a prisoner of conscience in Poland!” – banners with this appeal (in Polish, English and Italian) were carried by Poles gathered in St. Peter’s Square for the Angelus prayer on September 22.

Exaudi told the story of this charismatic Polish priest, Dehonian, head of the Profeto Foundation who, for obvious political revenge, has been under “exploratory arrest” for six months without trial, with ever new accusations, but not very credible, which only serve to keep him in prison. ( https://www.exaudi.org/it/polonia-arrestare-un-sacerdote-per-vendetta-politica/ ).

The initiative was promoted by members of the club of the conservative Polish weekly “Gazeta Polska” (The Polish Newspaper) and in particular by the Polish journalist Mariusz Talarek who is one of the initiators of the Rosary which is recited in front of the detention centre in Służewiec in Warsaw and in Grochow, where Father Olszewski and the two employees of the Ministry of Justice involved in the same trial are being held prisoner: Mrs Karolina and Mrs Urszula.

Talarek is very skeptical about the situation in Poland where there are cases like that of Father Olszewski, a prisoner of conscience. “Bad things are happening,” says the journalist. “We are paralyzed by this situation, helpless in the face of what is happening in Poland. In fact, there is little we can do except protest and pray. Through our physical presence in front of the prison where Father Michal is being held, we want to show him our solidarity and spiritual closeness.”

According to Talarek, “the independent media keep us updated on what is happening to Father Olszewski, but, unfortunately, the official Polish media and the global mainstream media are silent and do not provide reliable information about the priest.” Hence the idea of ​​coming to the Vatican and to St. Peter’s Square during the Angelus to remind the whole world what is happening to a priest in Poland. “We wanted this message to reach Pope Francis as well,” the journalist confides.

Anyone who would like to comment or leave a word of support for Father Michal Olszewski can do so on the Profeto Foundation page.

Here is the link: https://profeto.pl/komentarze/dodaj/82

Wlodzimierz Redzioch

Wlodzimierz Redzioch è nato a Czestochowa (Polonia), si è laureato in Ingegneria nel Politecnico. Dopo aver continuato gli studi nell’Università di Varsavia, presso l’Istituto degli Studi africani, nel 1980 ha lavorato presso il Centro per i pellegrini polacchi a Roma. Dal 1981 al 2012 ha lavorato presso L’Osservatore romano. Dal 1995 collabora con il settimanale cattolico polacco Niedziela come corrispondente dal Vaticano e dall’Italia. Per la sua attività di vaticanista il 23 settembre 2000 ha ricevuto in Polonia il premio cattolico per il giornalismo «Mater Verbi»; mentre il 14 luglio 2006 Sua Santità Benedetto XVI gli ha conferito il titolo di commendatore dell’Ordine di San Silvestro papa. Autore prolifico, ha scritto diversi volumi sul Vaticano e guide ai due principali santuari mariani: Lourdes e Fatima. Promotore in Polonia del pellegrinaggio a Santiago de Compostela. In occasione della canonizzazione di Giovanni Paolo II ha pubblicato il libro “Accanto a Giovanni Paolo II. Gli amici e i collaboratori raccontano” (Edizioni Ares, Milano 2014), con 22 interviste, compresa la testimonianza d’eccezione di Papa emerito Benedetto XVI. Nel 2024, per commemorare il 40mo anniversario dell’assassinio di don Jerzy Popiełuszko, ha pubblicato la sua biografia “Jerzy Popiełuszko. Martire del comunismo” (Edizioni Ares Milano 2024).