Published: Less than 20 min ago
Thousands of people gathered on Sunday for a demonstration of support for former Pope John Paul II, after he was posthumously accused of covering up information about child sexual abuse within the Catholic Church.
Demonstration marches were held in the capital Warsaw and several other cities on the 18th anniversary of John Paul II’s death, a day that this year coincided with Palm Sunday.
According to the documentary broadcast last month by the independent broadcaster TVN, John Paul II – Karol Wojtyla before he was appointed pope – tried to hush up allegations of abuse within the Catholic Church in his native Poland to improve his chances of being elected pope .
The government and the ruling Law and Justice party have previously criticized the documentary, saying it attacks Poland’s national identity.