Prominent Polish priest spied for secret police

POLAND: A week before Pope Benedict arrives in Poland, the homeland of his predecessor John Paul, the country has been rocked by revelations that another of its most prominent clergymen spied for the communist secret police.

"Analysing these files from the historical and technical viewpoint, there is no doubt that priest Michal Czajkowski was a secret collaborator," said Jan Zaryn of the National Remembrance Institute (IPN) that studies Poland's security service archives. "Everything points to voluntary collaboration," said Mr Zaryn.

Officials at the institute said Fr Czajkowski collaborated with Poland's SB secret police from 1960-1984, operating under the pseudonym "Jankowski", in return for cash and the opportunity to study abroad, which was denied to many people under communism.

He allegedly informed on well-known dissidents Jacek Kuron and Jan Jozef Lipski, and even Fr Jerzy Popieluszko, a priest who was lionised for supporting the pro-democracy Solidarity movement until his kidnap and murder by SB agents in 1984.

Fr Czajkowski, who co-chairs the Polish Council of Christians and Jews, denied that he collaborated willingly, or knowingly had contact with the communist secret police. "I have never been a secret collaborator of the SB. I know nothing about the Jankowski pseudonym," he said.

"In my opinion, these documents are a compilation of information put together from hearsay, rumours and reports by other parties." Fr Czajkowski did admit, however, that he might have unwittingly spoken to people linked to the SB.

"If someone has abused my credulity, frankness, carelessness or excessive freedom of expression, then I am truly very sorry," he said.

Poland's Catholic Church has faced growing pressure to investigate the activities of its clergy under communism, when it was seen as a bulwark of resistance and national identity against the might of the Soviet Union.

The church apologised earlier this year for the presence of collaborators in its ranks.

Last year it was revealed that Fr Konrad Hejmo, another well-known priest, had passed information on his countryman, Pope John Paul, to communist agents.