2026-03-30 20:00
publication
2026-03-30 20:00
The allegations of embezzlement and illegal activities are untrue – said on Monday the former director of the Polish section of Aid to the Church in Need, Fr. Waldemar Cisło, referring to information about irregularities that allegedly occurred in this organization.
In mid-March, the director of the Polish Section of Aid to the Church in Need (ACCEI), Fr. Ph.D. Jan Witold Żelazny informed that he had submitted a report to the prosecutor's office about the possibility of committing a crime. The case concerns “organizational and financial irregularities” that allegedly occurred in the organization before October 2024.
In September 2024, Fr. resigned from the position of director of the Polish section of the Pontifical Association Aid to the Church in Need. Waldemar Cisło.
On Monday, the priest referred to the matter in a statement published on the platform X. Fr. Cisło said in it that “the allegations of embezzlement and illegal activities are untrue.” He also declared his readiness to clarify any doubts through legal means.
In a statement by Fr. Cisło also referred to the report “Millions for a friend of the mission”, published on March 18 in the “Superwizjer” TVN program. He noted that the charges against him were not specific enough for him to defend himself. As he added, “it is difficult, however, to fight the presumptions and suppositions on which the reportage is based.”
“The real defense is the description of my missionary and charitable work, thanks to which I gained social recognition and acceptance,” emphasized Fr. Stay tuned.
According to information provided by Fr. Żelazny, audit procedures lasted almost all of 2025 and were carried out by a renowned global audit company.
“The first audit was completed in the fall of 2025, and thanks to it, we obtained information about organizational and financial irregularities that could have occurred in the Polish Section of Aid to the Church in Need before October 2024. Together with the audit company, we then decided to conduct an in-depth audit, which is still ongoing,” added Fr. Iron.
He informed that the information collected at this stage allowed him to take the step of submitting a notification to the prosecutor's office about the possibility of committing a crime. The allegations made in the notification concern organizational and financial matters.
“Identifying the culprits at this stage would be completely unjustified, no binding legal decision has been made yet, and the case will be further investigated thoroughly – both internally and by independent legal institutions. From our side, these entities can count on full transparency and cooperation. We want to fully explain, understand and draw appropriate conclusions regarding the events that took place in the past in the Polish Section,” said Fr. Iron.
The Pontifical Association Aid to the Church in Need (Kirche in Not) was founded in 1947 by the Dutch Norbertine Father Werenfried van Straaten (1913-2003). The tasks of ACN include evangelization in the media, theological education, biblical apostolate, pastoral assistance, catechesis, Mass scholarships, means of transport, and construction assistance.
The Polish Section of Aid to the Church in Need was established in 2006. The first regional office was opened in 2014 in Kraków, and then in Wrocław. Since 2009, the Polish section of ACN has been organizing the Day of Solidarity with the Persecuted Church in November. Since 2006, he has also been running the “SOS for the Holy Land” campaign, under which he helps Christians from Bethlehem sell their souvenirs, handicrafts, rosaries, crosses, figurines and Christmas tree decorations in Poland. The organization also organized actions to help Christians in Syria, Sudan and Egypt. The Polish section of PKWP prepared, among others: the publication of the publication “Persecuted and Forgotten: A Report on the Persecution of Christians” and the children's book “God Speaks to His Children: Selected Texts from the Bible” translated into 176 languages. (PAP)
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