Key Facts
• July 15, 2025: Poland protested to the Vatican over bishops’ immigration policy criticism.
• Two Catholic bishops accused of aligning with nationalist movements and interfering in politics.
• Poland’s foreign ministry condemned remarks as harmful to human dignity and sovereignty.
• Bishop Antoni Dlugosz supported illegal nationalist “Border Defense” patrols at the German border.
• Poland reinstated border controls with Germany to curb illegal immigration.
• Nationalist opposition criticized the government for “yielding” to Germany on immigration.
• Bishop Wieslaw Mering called the government “political gangsters” and criticized German relations.
• Mering compared German border issues to Belarus, citing threats from both east and west.
• Poland accused Belarus and Russia of encouraging migration to destabilize the EU.
• Poland’s letter to the Vatican expressed “deep indignation” over the bishops’ statements.
Summary
Poland’s government has formally protested to the Vatican following sharp criticism of its immigration policy by two Catholic bishops. The bishops, Antoni Dlugosz and Wieslaw Mering, were accused of aligning with nationalist movements and making inflammatory remarks that harm Poland’s sovereignty and relations with Germany. Dlugosz openly supported illegal nationalist patrols at the German border, while Mering likened border issues to threats from Belarus and Russia. Poland recently reinstated border controls with Germany to address illegal immigration, a move criticized by nationalist opposition. The foreign ministry condemned the bishops’ statements as unacceptable and damaging to Poland-Germany relations, expressing “deep indignation” in a letter to the Vatican.
