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Heart and Soul: Poland's nuns lifting the veil

Poland's Nuns lifting the Veil

22/09/2023 GMT

Poland's nuns lifting the veil

BBC World Service - Heart and Soul, Poland's nuns lifting the veil

The former Catholic nun helping others who want to leave their religious communities

The former Catholic nun helping others who want to leave their religious communities in Poland.

What happens when a Catholic nun in Poland chooses to leave her religious community? How does she re-enter society? Nuns are rejecting their orders after experiencing what they now regard as abuse. Some say they have even been sexually abused by priests.  

Izabela Moscicka recently made this journey. She stopped being a nun and is now living independently in Krakow. She knows how hard it can be, so she is setting up an aid centre for nuns and former nuns, who are looking for assistance and refuge. 

For the first time,  Izabela shares her life story, the realities of the life of Polish nuns on a day to day basis, and the difficulties they have if they decide to leave the church. We also hear from one of the former nuns she is trying to help. She recently left her religious community after she reported historical sexual abuse by a priest. She says her order did nothing and told her to leave.  

The Catholic Church in Poland is aware of these accusations. Father Piotr Studnicki is the episcopal delegate for child sex abuse on the Polish Bishop’s conference. He has set up an official Catholic church phone line for nuns who need help. But with a culture of silence in Polish society around nuns leaving their orders and the abuses they endure whilst in their communities, how can these women get the help they need to start new lives? Orla O’Brien travels to Poland to find out.

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