Vatican asked to 'clarify' role of John Paul II's aide

John Paul II is highly revered in Poland, where he is credited with helping to bring down communist rule

Poland's bishops on Tuesday urged the Vatican to clarify the role of an influential aide to late pope John Paul II, Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, following allegations about abuse cover-ups.

The head of the Polish Bishops' Conference, Stanislaw Gadecki, was reacting to a documentary broadcast on Monday by Polish network TVN24 that raised questions about Dziwisz, John Paul II's friend and secretary.

"Following the report broadcast by TVN24 yesterday... where he was accused of negligence in the investigation of sexual abuse by representatives of the clergy, I hope that the relevant Vatican commission will clarify all the doubts raised," Gadecki said in a statement.

Gadecki's statement came on the day that the Vatican was due to publish the results of a long-awaited investigation into ex-US cardinal Theodore McCarrick.

TVN24 said that the Vatican report on McCarrick, who was defrocked last year after being found guilty by the Vatican of sexual abuse, could contain references to Dziwisz -- a powerful Vatican player at the time that McCarrick was rising in the Catholic hierarchy.

Dziwisz, now 81, worked alongside Saint John Paul II in the Vatican and later served as Archbishop of Krakow, before retiring in 2016. TVN24 said he had declined to comment for their documentary.

John Paul II, who was pope from 1978 until his death in 2005, is highly revered in Poland, where he is credited with helping to bring down communist rule.

The politically influential Polish Catholic Church has been shaken in recent months by a series of high profile cases of sexual abuse and cover-ups by clergy.

Last week, the Vatican announced sanctions against 97-year-old Polish cardinal Henryk Gulbinowicz, banning him from carrying out his duties and using bishops' insignia after an unspecified probe which media reports said related to alleged sexual abuse.