Grzegorz Kaszak was born in Choszczno, Poland (Archdiocese of Szczecin-Kamień). He graduated from high school in 1983 and studied at the Major Seminary of Gościkowo - Paradyż and then moved to the newly established seminary in Szczecin. He was ordained a priest on 18 June 1989 by Bishop Kazimierz Majdański.[1]
Pope Benedict named him bishop of Sosnowiec, the second bishop since it was erected in 1992, on 4 February 2009.[2]
He received his episcopal consecration on 28 March from Cardinal Józef Glemp.[1] He was the youngest head of a Polish diocese at the time, and some questioned his lack of pastoral experience. He was one of a number of Polish clerics who returned to Poland from their Vatican positions around this time.[3]
Pope Francis accepted his resignation on 24 October 2023.[4] His early resignation was prompted, according to press reports, by recent scandals. After a priest died from suicide in January 2017, Kaszak made no public comments and the diocese blamed mental health issues that others disputed.[3] Another case in March 2023 involved the suicide of a priest following the violent murder of a deacon. Then an orgy conducted by priests with a male sex worker in August 2023 became public knowledge after medics were prevented from aiding the worker when he suffered an adverse drug reaction.[5][6] In a letter to the diocese on 23 September, Kaszak promised that the priest who hosted the event would be punished by the Church no matter what action the civil authorities take.[7] There were calls for Kaszak's removal, notably from the Catholic journalist and activist Tomasz Terlikowski [pl] and the theologian Jarosław Makowski [pl].[3]
Notes
^His superior at the Pontifical Council was the staunch conservative Cardinal Alfonso López Trujillo, who died on 19 April 2008. Cardinal Ennio Antonelli, a social moderate who had 40 years experience as an ordinary, was named to succeed him on 7 June.
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