The liberal mayor of the northern city of Słupsk Robert Biedroń will not be charged with insulting an object of worship, after complaints were lodged against him for removing a picture of the late Pope John Paul II from his office.

District Prosecutor of Słupsk Krzysztof Młynarczyk has concluded that the treatment of the painting “did not bear the characteristics of ill will.

“The picture was simply taken down from the wall and handed over to one of the churches in the city.

“This is not a criminal offence.”

The picture had been installed in the mayor's office in 2003, when Pope John Paul II, the first ever Polish pontiff, was made an honorary citizen of Słupsk.

Biedroń, who became Poland's first openly gay MP in 2011, was elected mayor of Słupsk in 2014.

The complaints were lodged in June by Ryszard Nowak, Chairman of the Nationwide Committee for the Defence Against Sects and Violence. The committee has been involved in several other widely publicised cases, including the trial of rock star Adam Darski 'Nergal', after he tore up a copy of the bible on stage.

Pope John Paul II was canonised in 2014, and according to the Roman Catholic faith, one can pray to saints to intercede on one's behalf for help in entering heaven.

Ryszard Nowak has revealed that he will appeal against the prosecutor's decision.

“Pope John Paul II is an object of worship and as such is subject to special protection,” he has stated. (nh/rk)

Source: PAP