Archbishop Józef Michalik, the retired Metropolitan of Przemyśl and former head of the Polish Episcopal Conference, died on May 3, 2026, at age 85.
Early Life and Education
Józef Michalik was born on April 20, 1941, in Zambrow. He studied at the Seminary in Łomża from 1958 to 1964, receiving priestly ordination on May 23, 1964.
He continued his theological studies at the Warsaw Theological Academy and later at the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas – Angelicum – in Rome, earning a doctorate in theology in 1972.
Episcopal Ordination and Early Assignments
Michalik was ordained a bishop on October 16, 1986, by Pope John Paul II in St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City, and appointed Bishop of Gorzów. He served as the diocesan bishop of Zielona Góra-Gorzów from 1986 to 1993.
Archbishop of Przemyśl
On April 17, 1993, John Paul II appointed him Archbishop Metropolitan of Przemyśl. He formally took office on May 2, 1993, serving for over two decades.
Pope Francis accepted his resignation on April 30, 2016. Bishop Adam Szal succeeded him as Archbishop Metropolitan of Przemyśl on May 11, 2016. Michalik resided in Przemyśl, near the archcathedral.
Leadership of the Polish Episcopal Conference
Michalik served as Vice-President of the Polish Episcopal Conference from 1999 to 2004, and then as President of the KEP for two terms, from 2004 to 2014. He was also Vice-President of the Council of European Episcopal Conferences from 2011 to 2014.
Throughout this decade, he remained a prominent figure in Polish Catholicism, actively participating in public debates and church diplomacy.
International Engagement
On September 21, 2005, in Fulda, Germany, Michalik, along with Cardinal Karl Lehmann, signed a joint statement commemorating the 40th anniversary of the exchange of letters between Polish and German bishops in 1965.
On June 28, 2013, in Warsaw, he signed a declaration with Sviatoslav Shevchuk, head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, and Mieczysław Mokrzycki, chairman of the Roman Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Ukraine, appealing for reconciliation between the Polish and Ukrainian nations.
Controversies and Allegations
Archbishop Michalik’s tenure was marked by controversy, notably regarding the issue of clerical sexual abuse. In October 2013, he suggested that broken families could contribute to child sexual abuse, sparking immediate criticism.
He subsequently apologized for his remarks, calling them a linguistic error and affirming that adults bear full responsibility for sexual abuse. Earlier, in 2001, he defended a priest accused of molesting young girls, and allowed him to continue his duties even after his conviction, a case that became symbolic of alleged cover-ups within the Polish Church.
Recent Illness and Death
In October 2025, Michalik’s health deteriorated, requiring hospitalization and emergency cardiac surgery. The archdiocese of Przemyśl requested prayers for his recovery. While he survived the operation, his health did not fully recover, and he passed away on May 3, 2026.
