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A priest in Poland is accused of the brutal murder of a 68-year-old homeless man, prompting the Archbishop of Warsaw to formally request his defrocking by the Vatican. The victim was reportedly beaten with an axe and set on fire.
Prosecutors have charged the priest, identified only as Mirosław M. in line with Polish privacy rules, with murder committed with particular cruelty. He is currently being held ahead of trial and faces a potential sentence ranging from 15 years to life imprisonment.
Investigators allege that Mirosław M. and the victim, Anatol Cz., were together in a car late on Thursday when an argument escalated, according to Aneta Góźdź, a spokesperson for the Radom District Prosecutor’s Office.
The fight stemmed from a donation agreement where the priest had agreed to provide lifelong assistance and care for the man, Góźdź said in a statement. The argument escalated over the homeless man’s future housing.
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A crowd gathers in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican, where newly elected Pope Leo XIV will deliver a blessing from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica on Sunday, May 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Domenico Stinellis, File) (Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)
The priest allegedly struck the victim on the head with an axe, doused him in flammable liquid and set him on fire, the spokesperson said. The priest then drove away when he saw a bicycle light approaching.
The cyclist found the victim engulfed in flames and called for first responders, Góźdź said.
“An autopsy showed that the victim suffered burns covering 80% of his body and head injuries caused by a sharp-edged heavy object,” Góźdź said.
Warsaw Archbishop Adrian Galbas on Saturday requested the Holy See to dismiss the priest from the priesthood, the highest penalty in canon law for a cleric.
The Vatican did not immediately respond to a request for comment.