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Notes from Poland is run by a small editorial team and is published by an independent, non-profit foundation that is funded through donations from our readers. We cannot do what we do without your support.
Thousands of protesters blockaded a bishop inside a church in a Polish village on Sunday – and some even physically attacked him – amid anger over the dismissal of a popular long-serving local Catholic priest.
As a result, police were called in and, after efforts by negotiators to calm the crowd failed, officers escorted the bishop away from the premises after midnight.
„Kościół w Grojcu otoczyło kilka tysięcy osób, parafian i uczęszczających do grojeckiej świątyni. #Aktualnie Okrzyki „jesteśmy z Tobą” dla księdza Józefa Zborka."
Materiał od @FaktyOswiecim pic.twitter.com/3zaqlBCDF6
— Sebastian Kościelnik (@S_Koscielnik) October 4, 2026
The incident took place in the village of Grojec, near the city of Oświęcim in southern Poland. The municipality has an official population of around 3,200, but local media – including the Gazeta Krakowska newspaper and Fakty Oświęcim website – report that around 3,000 people gathered on Sunday evening to protest.
They were angered by the decision to remove local priest Józef Zborek, who has served in the parish for almost 30 years, from his position.
The diocese of Bielsko-Żywiec says the priest was found in church proceedings to have been guilty of “serious and proven irregularities in the performance of his duties”. However, the actual nature of his offences has not been publicly revealed, with the church noting that, under canon law, only Zborek himself can do so.
The case against him was initially reported in 2024. The priest repeatedly appealed against the decision, taking the case to the Vatican. However, the decision to remove him was upheld, with Zborek removed from his position on Saturday.
On Sunday, Roman Pindel, the bishop of Bielsko-Żywiec, visited Grojec to meet with the parish council and discuss the situation. Afterwards, he proceeded to the local church to attend the Eucharist.
However, before his arrival, thousands of people had gathered around the church, holding signs saying “Don’t take away our parish priest”. Some burst inside and disrupted the ceremony.
Asked about the reasons for Zborek’s popularity, one woman told Gazeta Krakowska that he had accepted children who had been turned away by other priests for first communion and had “no problem baptising illegitimate children”.
News website Onet reports that one local theory is that the priest was removed from his position because he had not charged parishioners for sacraments. Churches in Poland generally expect people to make payments in return for sacraments such as baptism, confirmation and marriage.
🔴Sceny pod kościołem. Biskup w eskorcie policji. Jest nagranie
Nocna interwencja policji przed kościołem w Grojcu w Małopolsce. Biskup bielsko-żywiecki Roman Pindel wraz z towarzyszącymi mu księżmi został wyprowadzony ze świątyni pod eskortą funkcjonariuszy. Wszystko po… pic.twitter.com/XEXU3LOMXm
— Wirtualna Polska (@wirtualnapolska) October 5, 2026
After the church service had been disrupted, Pindel and several other priests retreated to the sacristy. Social media videos show protesters shouting angrily at the bishop. Some even physically assailed him and had to be pulled away. Once inside, the bishop faced continued verbal aggression.
Shortly afterwards, the police arrived, including specialist negotiators. Pindel spoke to the crowd, explaining that the decision to dismiss Zborek had been confirmed by the Vatican and was final. The bishop reiterated that only Zborek himself was authorised to disclose the reasons for his dismissal.
But, with a large, angry crowd still gathered outside and blocking all exits, the bishop was evacuated under the protection of officers at around 1 a.m.
Hundreds of people have protested in Kraków’s Kazimierz district against plans to evict residents and businesses – including some of the area's famous bars and galleries – from historic church-owned buildings that will be redeveloped into a luxury hotel https://t.co/Xo3SmkWc9g
— Notes from Poland 🇵🇱 (@notesfrompoland) February 24, 2026
Subsequently, the Bielsko-Żywiec diocese issued a statement saying that the “aggressive crowd” had “threatened the health and lives of the priests”. It also noted that Zborek had been dismissed after a full canon law process in which he had been able to defend himself and appeal.
“We know that many people, especially his parishioners, are experiencing this pain,” they wrote. “However, we ask that you accept this decision in a spirit of faith and in unity with the church.”
Notes from Poland is run by a small editorial team and published by an independent, non-profit foundation that is funded through donations from our readers. We cannot do what we do without your support.
Main image credit: Oświęcim112/Facebook (screenshot)
Daniel Tilles is editor-in-chief of Notes from Poland. He has written on Polish affairs for a wide range of publications, including Foreign Policy, POLITICO Europe, EUobserver and Dziennik Gazeta Prawna.
