Father Edward Hodurek has been ordered back to Poland by the Vatican and a hall used by the Polish community in Falkirk Scotland has been closed and put up for sale. Some of the young Poles bemoan the loss of their ‘new style’ priest and are fighting the sale.

I can’t possibly know the details about why Father Hodurek is being sent back to Poland, but if the code words being used by those opposed to the move in a Scotsman article is any indication, this is probably a good thing. We need not look at those opposed to Fr. Hodurek, but to those who support him. From the Scotsman.

“The mission was a place to gather, a place where ordinary Poles could seek help,” said Ms Creslik.

“Father Edward treated everyone equally – not something all priests do. He understood that we were new here and some of us were having problems with debt, relationships and the language.

“He wanted to make things better and understood the pressures of finding a job and getting used to freedom.

“In Poland, people live with their parents sometimes until they are in their thirties because they can’t afford to move out. We work long hours and don’t have much money left over to go out.

“Here, people can be independent – live together, go to the pub, the cinema, parties and have relationships, meaning we have new problems even with this freedom. The old priests just stay with the mass and don’t seem to want us to have this lifestyle.

“The Catholic Church is very strong in Poland and involved in politics, but here I admire the way the Church keeps out of things.”

That just about says it. No? Apparently the sale of the mission will provide the money to support some regular priests from Poland. Based upon what I read in the article, I am cool with that.