CDA meeting Monday

The Catholic Daughters of the Americas Court #1291 meeting will be after the 5:30 pm Mass on Monday in Carlin Hall. Please plan to join in with fellowship and an informative evening.

Lenten luncheons in Slayton

Court Queen of Peace is serving lunch during Lent on Thursdays at Divine Mercy Hall, St. Ann’s Church, Slayton, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The menu includes sandwich, salads, and assorted desserts. March 16 is a barbecue sandwich, and March 23 is a pork loin sandwich, with cheesy potatoes Take-outs are available by calling 507-227-6519

‘A Catholic View to End of Life Decisions’ presentation

Holy Redeemer CCW is inviting men and women to a general gathering Monday, March 27, at Holy Redeemer Church, featuring guest speaker Dr. Frani Knowles, MD. Dr. Knowles will discuss “A Catholic View to End of Life Decisions.” She is board certified in family practice, and an affiliate with New Ulm Medical Center with over 25 years of experience. The evening includes Mass, a light meal, and guest speaker. There will be Catholic Healthcare booklets available. The Mass is at 5:30 p.m., followed by a light lunch at 6:10 p.m., and Knowles’ presentation at 6:30 p.m.

John Paul abuse claims trigger angry reactions in Poland

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Fallout from a TV report alleging that St. John Paul II covered up clergy sex abuse cases escalated Thursday, with Poland’s Catholic Church and lawmakers defending him as one of the greatest Poles ever and the government “inviting” the U.S. ambassador for talks.

A report this week on TVN24, which is owned by the U.S. company Warner Bros. Discovery, named three priests whom John Paul allegedly moved around during the 1970s after they were accused of abusing minors. At the time, he was still Archbishop Karol Wojtyla, the head of the church in Krakow in southern Poland.

John Paul is revered in the predominantly Roman Catholic country for his role in helping bring down communism, and the TVN report ignited a national debate at a time when the Polish Church has been undergoing a reckoning with its record of clergy sexual abuse. A heated debate erupted Thursday in parliament debating his legacy.

Government figures, including Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, have strongly defended the late pope as a national hero and the country’s highest moral authority. Leftist politicians seized on allegations that he knowingly protected predator priests, with some calling for John Paul’s name to be taken off street and school names.

On Thursday the lower house of parliament also passed a resolution defending John Paul as the “most outstanding Pole in history,” but many opposition members walked out or abstained from voting.

The resolution praised the late pontiff for “actively supporting the Polish nation in its efforts to regain freedom and independence” while also strongly condemning “the shameful, negative media campaign based largely on the materials of the communist apparatus of violence,” against the pope.

On Thursday, the head of the Polish bishops’ conference, Archbishop Stanislaw Gadecki, entered the fray, strongly defending the late pope and appealing to “all people of good will” to not destroy his legacy. Gadecki celebrated Mass at John Paul II’s tomb at St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican, praying for those seeking to discredit the pontiff.

Gadecki joined some critics in casting doubt on the report’s credibility, as some of the documentation it quoted came from the files of the communist-era secret security service that had been seeking to compromise the church.

“The Polish pope has been a moral yardstick, a teacher of the faith and an intercessor in heaven” for millions of Poles,” Gadecki said. “It comes as a shock that attempts are made to discredit John Paul II himself and his legacy, all in the name of concern with truth and good.”