Vatican spokesman Joaquín Navarro-Valls said in a press statement Saturday that the «Holy See has been informed of these circumstances and I can confirm that it is also following the topic with great attention and responsibility, in order to safeguard the rights of all.»
The liberal Polish newspaper Rzeczpospolita published anonymous sources the same day stating that Father Tadeusz Karkosz, rector of the Poznan archdiocesan seminary, did not allow Archbishop Juliusz Paetz access to the seminary in order to ensure the seminarians´ safety.
The same newspaper revealed that John Paul II was personally informed about the case, and that both the Holy See and the Polish episcopal conference have begun investigations into the matter.
Archbishop Paetz, 67, stated his innocence in a letter sent to his diocesan curia.
