Judas Priests?

Catholic priest Tadeusz Isakowicz-Zaleski, who was persecuted by the communist-era secret services (SB) and is a proponent of vetting in the church, has published Priests in the Face of the Security Services, a book describing the infiltration of Kraków's archdiocese by the SB.

"This book is not about agents in cassocks, this book is about showing what was happening to the Church in the communist era," said Isakowicz-Zaleski.

According to Isakowicz-Zaleski, in Kraków's archdiocese about 30 priests and four bishops were registered as informants with the secret police, among them Bishop Janusz Peatz and a secret collaborator called "Henryk," who is now believed to be in the Vatican's diplomatic corps. However, as even the author admits, in some cases it is impossible to unambiguously identify someone as an agent on the basis of surviving documents.

Isakowicz-Zaleski's publication has caused controversy in the Church. The Archbishop of Kraków, Stanisław Dziwisz, has ordered a review of the book's content to check that the episcopate's rules on revealing cooperation with the SB were followed. Some representatives of the Church's hierarchy accuse Isakowicz-Zaleski of defaming the priests mentioned in the book. The author denies these allegations, claiming that he has evidence to back up all his statements. He also stands by his belief that vetting within Poland's Catholic Church is necessary.

The priest has announced that he is working on another book on "the heroes of the fight with the SB."