Hundreds of parishioners in Grojec, Poland, protested Sunday against the removal of their pastor, Rev. Józef Zborek, blocking exits from St. Lawrence Church and trapping Bishop Roman Pindel inside for hours. The bishop, who had met with the parish council for 2.5 hours, was later evacuated by police around 1 a.m. Monday after protesters shouted slogans like “Give us back our pastor” and “Coward,” according to local reports .

The Diocese of Bielsko-Żywiec stated Zborek was removed due to “serious irregularities” in his duties, confirmed by the Vatican’s highest tribunal, but did not specify the nature of the violations, citing privacy protections. The diocese emphasized the decision was final and that Zborek had exhausted all appeals, including to the Apostolic Signatura .

Protesters, including elderly parishioners and families, demanded transparency, with one woman telling RMF FM that the bishop “didn’t tell us anything” and failed to reassure them about Zborek’s future. The diocese’s statement claimed the crowd became aggressive, pulling at the bishop and priests, prompting the police intervention .