Plagiarist Priests May Face Jail Time in Poland

Church tries to curb problem of online sermon swiping
By Kevin Spak,  Newser Staff
Posted Apr 26, 2008 5:20 PM CDT
Plagiarist Priests May Face Jail Time in Poland
Church of St Mary on the Market Square in Krakow, Poland.   (Shutterstock)

If Polish priests don’t stop their plagiarizing ways, they could be slapped with a fine or even thrown in jail for 3 years, church authorities warn. Uninspired priests have been swiping their homilies off the Internet, and “unfortunately the practice has become more usual than not,” said Father Wieslaw Przyczyna, who opposes the “unethical” pilfering.

Przyczyna has co-written a self-help guide, To Plagiarize or Not to Plagiarize, designed to help priests write their own sermons. The problem isn’t confined to Poland; clergy worldwide have been ordering the pamphlet. But some oppose its message. One critic accuses Przyczyna of “harassing priests and exposing their weaknesses," the Guardian reports. (More Catholic Church stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X