Slovakian archbishop expresses support for Rev. Prof. Dariusz Oko

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• Ján Orosch, Archbishop of Trnava in Slovakia, expressed his support for Rev. Prof. Dariusz Oko, convicted of publishing a scientific article on the so-called Lavender Mafia in the Church.

• The hierarch thanked the Polish academic for his work to "oppose this programme which aims to destroy the Christian roots of our culture".

• Earlier, support for Rev. Prof. Dariusz Oko was expressed by such persons as Bishop Radosław Zmitrowicz of Ukraine and Cardinal Gerhard L. Müller of Germany.

• The Ordo Iuris Institute became actively involved in the legal defence of the Polish academic. They also drafted a petition “BronmyKsiedzaOko.pl”.

THE LETTER BY ARCHBISHOP OROSCH IS AVAILABLE AT BRONMYKSIEDZAOKO.PL

The court in Cologne sentenced Rev. Prof. Dariusz Oko by way of injunction for "incitement to hatred", which allegedly occurred through an academic paper. The German judiciary fined the Polish scientist €4,800. Also convicted was 90-year-old German theologian Rev. Prof. Johannes Stöhr, editor-in-chief of the scientific journal "Theologisches", which published the article. The text addresses the problem of an intra-church criminal group (the so-called "lavender mafia"), linked to homosexual practices, paedophilia and the abuse of young clerics. Both clergymen are currently facing arrest for evading the fines.

In his article, the Polish academic expressed his opinion and made an attempt at alerting to the causes of the problem of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church. Rev. Prof. Dariusz Oko and Rev. Prof. Johannes Stöhr wanted to launch a discussion in the academic world on the mechanisms which allowed the truth about the crimes of Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, already stripped of ecclesiastical dignity, to be concealed for so long. An article which came out in the periodical "Theologisches" recalled the words of Pope Francis, who mentioned a bishop in whose diocese there is a significant number of homosexual priests. The text also quoted Cardinal Maradiaga, who, answering the question "Is there a gay association in the Vatican?" replied emphatically: "not only that, but the Holy Father himself has said that such a 'lobby' in this sense exists. The Holy Father endeavours to slowly clean up this situation". Rev. Prof. Oko presented a stance that was in no way controversial in the academic community that studies the subject of sexual abuse in the Church.

Support for Rev. Prof. Dariusz Oko was expressed by Bishop Radosław Zmitrowicz, chairman of the Commission on Family Affairs of the Roman Catholic Church Bishops' Conference in Ukraine. Similar support was given by Cardinal Gerhard L. Müller, who in an interview with the Do Rzeczy weekly said: "As a German, I am ashamed for the fact that in my homeland charges may again be brought of so-called incitement to hatred against the public and a Polish academic may be convicted, because he presented facts".

Now the Archbishop of Trnava in Slovakia has also expressed his solidarity. Archbishop Ján Orosch thanked the Polish scholar for his work to "oppose this programme which aims to destroy the Christian roots of our culture." In his letter, he also expressed outrage at the fact that the Polish scholar is even facing a prison sentence for presenting "the truth about so-called sexual minorities in the Catholic Church." The Slovak clergyman also expressed his approval of the growing popularity of a book by Rev. Prof. Dariusz Oko: "I am very happy about the publication of 'Lawend mafia' in Slovak, in which the professor explains how the ideology of homosexuality has spread within the Church itself and that it constitutes a major risk to its work".

The Ordo Iuris Institute became involved in helping the professors by providing them with legal support in the proceedings before the German court. Further, the Institute launched a petition to the court in Cologne and to Chancellor Angela Merkel. Ordo Iuris together with tens of thousands of people appeal for the protection of freedom of speech, especially on academic grounds. You can sign the petition at “BronmyKsiedzaOko.pl”.