Cardinal Grzegorz Ryś Named New Krakow Archbishop

The news in Polish

1. kardynał  (m.)
   wysoki duchowny w Kościele katolickim, bliski współpracownik papieża ↩︎
2. metropolita  (m.)
   arcybiskup kierujący ważną diecezją, często w dużym mieście ↩︎
3. arcybiskup  (m.)
   biskup stojący najwyżej w hierarchii kościelnej w danym regionie ↩︎
4. diecezja  (f.)
   teren, którym kieruje biskup w Kościele katolickim ↩︎
5. skandal  (m.)
   głośne, szokujące wydarzenia wywołujące oburzenie ludzi ↩︎
6. wierny  (m.)
   osoby należące do danego Kościoła, które w niego wierzą i praktykują ↩︎

Translation

Text comprehension

Question 1: Who did Cardinal Grzegorz Ryś replace as the archbishop of Krakow?

Question 2: Name one difficult problem that the new archbishop has to deal with.

Vocabulary

Polish	English
kardynał  (m.)	cardinal
metropolita  (m.)	metropolitan archbishop
arcybiskup  (m.)	archbishop
diecezja  (f.)	diocese
skandal  (m.)	scandal
wierny  (m.)	believer (member of a church)

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Cardinal Grzegorz Ryś, until now the archbishop of the central Polish city of Łódź, has been appointed the new metropolitan of Krakow. He replaces Archbishop Marek Jędraszewski, who has retired after reaching the canonical retirement age of 75. The decision was announced by the Apostolic Nunciature in Poland and approved by Pope Leon XIV, the former head of the Vatican office responsible for appointing bishops.

The Archdiocese of Krakow is one of the most important and wealthiest dioceses in Poland. It is also symbolically significant: it was once led by Karol Wojtyła, the future Pope John Paul II. For this reason, the choice of a new metropolitan is seen by commentators as an important signal for the direction of the Catholic Church in Poland.

Public commentator Tomasz Terlikowski described the nomination as a clear continuation of the more open pastoral line associated first with Pope Francis and now with Pope Leon XIV. In his view, some members of the Polish Bishops’ Conference had hoped the Vatican would move away from that approach. Sending Cardinal Ryś to Krakow, he argued, suggests the papacy wants to maintain a style of leadership focused on openness in evangelisation and pastoral work.

Other church observers emphasise the practical challenges that await the new archbishop. Priest and ethicist Fr Andrzej Kobyliński believes one of Cardinal Ryś’s first decisions in Krakow could be to create an independent commission to investigate clerical sexual abuse in the archdiocese, similar to the body he set up earlier this year in Łódź. According to Kobyliński, a move like this in such a prominent diocese could strongly influence how the issue is handled across the Polish Church.

Kobyliński also points to several long‑term problems facing the new metropolitan: growing secularisation, debates about religious education in schools, the need to strengthen parish catechesis, and a decline in priestly vocations. He underlines that these are issues without quick solutions and will require, in his words, “hard work rather than a magic wand”.

The change in Krakow also has a financial and organisational dimension. Media reports describe the Krakow archdiocese as one of the richest in Poland, while many other dioceses struggle with heavy debts. Commentators ask whether, in a more “synodal” Church model that stresses shared responsibility, the wealthy Krakow archdiocese under Cardinal Ryś will increase its support for poorer dioceses.

The appointment ends the era of Archbishop Marek Jędraszewski, who led the Krakow archdiocese from 2017. His time in office was marked by a strongly conservative stance on moral and social issues and frequent public interventions on political matters. One of his most controversial statements was his reference to the LGBT+ community as a “rainbow plague”, which drew widespread criticism in Poland and abroad. His critics accused him of deepening social and internal church divisions, while his supporters praised him for defending traditional Catholic teaching.

According to priest and commentator Fr Kazimierz Sowa, relations within the Krakow clergy became “very unhealthy” during Archbishop Jędraszewski’s leadership, and the local Church now requires a period of “healing” of internal relationships. He suggests that many priests in Krakow may welcome the arrival of a new leader with a different style.

Fr Sowa links the long delay in appointing a successor to complex dynamics between the Vatican, the papal nuncio in Poland and Archbishop Jędraszewski. In his interpretation, the former archbishop tried to influence the choice towards candidates close to his views, while church authorities in Rome eventually opted for a different direction. Some media also reported that several names, including that of Bishop Sławomir Oder, were considered before the final decision was taken. These accounts, however, are based on journalistic and clerical commentary; the Vatican has not officially confirmed details of the internal process.

Commentators differ in their interpretation of what the nomination says about the wider Church. Terlikowski calls it a strong strategic signal from Pope Leon XIV, while Fr Sowa views it more cautiously as an important but “single decision” that cannot by itself transform the whole Polish Church. Both, however, describe Cardinal Ryś as a figure close to the current papacy and as one of the most influential Polish voices in Rome.

Cardinal Ryś himself is seen as a socially sensitive yet doctrinally traditional churchman. He has spoken publicly in defence of migrants and refugees and apologised to Jewish communities in Poland after an anti‑Jewish outburst by a Polish politician. At the same time, priests who know him, including Fr Sowa, stress that he is not a “liberal” or “progressive” bishop in theological terms, but rather a traditional Catholic who prefers practical action over public polemics.

The move from Łódź to Krakow also opens a new question: who will become the next metropolitan of Łódź? Church commentators are already speculating about possible candidates. One of the names mentioned in Polish media is Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, the long‑time papal almoner responsible for charity work in the Vatican. So far, however, these are only speculations; neither the Łódź archdiocese nor the Vatican has announced a decision.

For observers outside Poland, the appointment of Cardinal Ryś illustrates several broader trends: the tension between conservative and more open currents within the Polish Church, the ongoing effort to respond to sexual‑abuse cases, and the challenge of maintaining religious practice in an increasingly secular society. How the new metropolitan will address these issues in Krakow is likely to be followed closely, both in Poland and in the wider Catholic world.

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