Franciscan nuns abusing kids in Poland?

from happy anniversary celebrations..........

to allegations of child abuse


It's just 2 weeks ago that the media here were announcing the forthcoming celebrations of the Catholic Congregation, the Franciscans, who are currently enjoying their 800th anniversary in Poland.

These festivities have had a dark cloud cast upon them though with Polskie Radio reporting that the cops are investigating allegations of abuse by Fransiscan Sisters at a special needs centre for kids in Studzieniczna, north eastern Poland.

Nuns were video taped committing acts of violence such as pulling hair and beating kids in their care. The footage was recorded by a tourist and handed over to the police.

50 children with physical and mental special needs reside in the centre and unsurprisingly the local pastor, Fr. Zygmunt Kopiczko has jumped to the defence of the nuns. He supposedly visits the place on a daily basis and hough he admits the kids are disciplined in an appropriate manner no acts of violence are perpetrated upon them.

Sound familiar? Ah sure, just ship them off to another centre and the storm will calm, until the guilty sadist nuns get their hands on more kids. But just in case you think I'm Catholic bashing, hold that thought. I spent 5 years in a public school tha was also a convent. I had nuns as teachers, as did my brothers and most others in the community. I never once personally experienced or witnessed any of the nuns being violent, nor did any one I know of. The La Sainte Union nuns in my hometown of Banagher have an excellent reputation and despite all the crap that has come out about the church in Ireland, no allegations of abuse have ever being uttered against the LSU nuns in my hometown who have being there for over 150 years.

2 years ago 65 nuns were evicted from a monastery after they rebelled against a Vaican decision to replace their Mother Superior. A former Franciscan friar, Roman Komaryczko, was alleged to having a negative influence on Mother Jadwiga and her nuns.

So are there just a few bad Franciscans and religious eggs in the social care basket in Poland or is the entire system seriously affected by abuse from those with religious vows?