Identity of Communist-era spies among Polish clergy to be revealed

A new book to be out soon on the Polish market lists former Communist police spies among the country's clergy. Unlike most other new democracies in Eastern Europe, Poland never went through a thorough decommunization process. The new publication is seen as a part of the current process of squaring accounts with the past to lay ground for the what Poland's conservative government terms the 'fourth republic' , a state built on solid moral foundations in public life.

Father Tadeusz Isakowicz-Zaleski, a Roman Catholic priest, known for his important contribution to historical research on Poland's recent Communist past, has just completed a book on Polish clergy who collaborated with Communist-era secret police. The book is based on the archives of the Institute of National Rememberance, the equivalent of Germany's Gauck institute. Father Isakowicz-Zaleski:

'We should not be afraid of these archives, but release and examine them because the Gospel says the truth will set you free and that goes for the Church as well. The truth must see the light of day.'

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Catholic philosopher and commentator Dariusz Karłowicz explains what the situation was like for the church:

'We have to have in mind that Communist authorities involved big forces to destroy the Catholic Church which was considered as the main center of resistance in Poland. We can't forget that in the Ministry of Interior Affairs existed a huge department dedicated only to fighting with the Catholic Church. A lot of priests were murdered and blackmailed. It was a reality only 17 years ago.'