In the spotlight: Stanisław Dziwisz

The Archbishop of Kraków Stanisław Dziwisz, who is among the country's most respected clergy thanks to his service as personal secretary to the late Pope John Paul II, expressed particularly explicit criticism of the law. He called the communist secret service's registration of agents "immoral," and claimed that materials relating to the issue are "being considered without historical forethought."

Dziwisz suggested lawmakers pay more attention to the opinions presented by opponents of the vetting law, such as lawyers and academics, who have a skeptical stance with regard to the current legislation. The Archbishop also spoke out against baseless accusations of cooperation with the secret services, declaring that the impact of the injury extends beyond the falsely accused to their families and associates.

Dziwisz's words are certain to be received coldly by the government. Moreover, it is not the first time that the the Archbishop has criticized the government's initiative - he is generally considered to represent more tolerant factions of the Church rather than those which support the communist purges. In January of last year, Dziwisz met with one hundred Civic Platform (PO) deputies, including party leaders Donald Tusk and Jan Rokita, in what was seen as an attempt to counter-balance Radio Maryja's presence in the government's ideology.