Poland’s Bishop-Elect Steps Aside Amid Allegation of Past Misconduct Toward a Minor
On 12 July 2025, Pope Leo XIV appointed Fr. Krzysztof Dukielski, then forty-seven years old, as auxiliary bishop for the Diocese of Radom. Barely three weeks later, Dukielski requested to be released from the appointment, halting his episcopal ordination. The Holy See accepted the request on 6 August, initially without explanation¹.
Two days later, Bishop Marek Solarczyk of Radom issued a communiqué clarifying that the decision followed a report of past “inappropriate behavior toward a minor,” which had surfaced only after the appointment was made public². Solarczyk stated that “upon receiving credible information, the proceedings prescribed by the norms were initiated without delay,” and that “appropriate preventive measures” had been imposed. He pledged that further decisions would follow “in accordance with the relevant provisions of canon law” and expressed “sincere sympathy” to those affected, assuring prayers and pastoral support³.
Fr. Dukielski was ordained in 2003 and spent almost a decade in Rome, combining studies with parish work in Italy. From 2014 to 2016, he was deputy director of the national organising office for World Youth Day in Kraków. At the time of his nomination he was pastor of St. John the Baptist in Magnuszew, a post now assigned to Fr. Karol Piłat, who will be formally installed on 17 August⁴.
This is not the first instance in Poland of a bishop-elect stepping aside before ordination. In December 2018, Fr. Franciszek Ślusarczyk resigned as auxiliary bishop-elect of Kraków nine days after appointment, citing personal discernment. Similar cases have occurred in France, England, the United States, and Argentina for reasons ranging from health to canonical investigation⁵.
Canonical context and the episcopal selection process
The Codex Iuris Canonici stipulates that credible allegations of grave delicts involving minors require immediate preliminary investigation under canons 1717–1719, with the imposition of suitable precautionary measures⁶. Bishop Solarczyk’s language mirrors this canonical framework, indicating that established procedures were followed.
The appointment of bishops follows a process led by the apostolic nuncio, who consults bishops, senior clergy, and selected laity before compiling a list of three candidates, or terna, for the Dicastery for Bishops. The pope usually selects one of these, though he is not bound to do so⁷. The process relies heavily on confidential testimony and internal vetting, which, as this case demonstrates, may not always uncover allegations prior to public announcement.
Analysis and calls for reform
The fact that the allegation emerged only after Dukielski’s appointment suggests either incomplete information gathering during the vetting phase or obstacles in accessing relevant past records. While the diocesan response to the allegation was prompt and in accordance with canon law, the episode exposes a vulnerability in the current process.
Catholic commentator Tomasz Terlikowski has proposed reforms to strengthen episcopal vetting in Poland. He suggests that investigators visit every parish where a candidate has served and that the terna be made public to allow confidential feedback from the faithful. Terlikowski argues that this would improve “the quality of personnel” without introducing a democratic election of bishops⁸.
The case illustrates the continuing challenge for the Church in balancing the confidentiality necessary for episcopal appointments with rigorous safeguarding of the faithful, particularly the young. Enhancing pre-appointment scrutiny, even at the cost of lengthening the process, may be necessary to ensure both the integrity of the episcopate and the credibility of the Church’s witness.
¹ Pillar Catholic, Bishop-elect steps down after report of inappropriate behavior toward minor, 12 Aug. 2025.
² Bishop Marek Solarczyk, Diocesan Communiqué, 9 Aug. 2025.
³ Ibid.
⁴ Ground News, Bishop Solarczyk: After nomination, inappropriate behavior was reported, 11 Aug. 2025.
⁵ Examples include Msgr. Ivan Brient (Rennes, 2022) and Canon Christopher Whitehead (Plymouth, 2023–24).
⁶ Codex Iuris Canonici, canons 1717–1719.
⁷ USCCB, Process of Appointing a Bishop.
⁸ Tomasz Terlikowski, op-ed, 12 Aug. 2025.
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