A Polish newspaper has reported speculation that Pope Benedict XVI (will soon name a successor to Cardinal Jozef Glemp as primate of Poland. The newspaper Zycie Warszawy reports that Bishop Andrzej Dizuba of Lowicz will be appointed the next Archbishop of Gniezno. He would then become the Polish primate in 2009, when Cardinal Glemp reaches his 80th birthday.
The Zycie Warszawy story follows up on previous speculation by another Polish newspaper, Rzeczpospolita, which had stated earlier this month that the Pope will appoint a new primate this spring.
The Vatican has not commented on either newspaper report. Cardinal Glemp became the Polish primate in 1981, when he succeeded the legendary Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski as Archbishop of Warsaw and of Gniezno.
Historically the title of primate was attached to the Gniezno archdiocese. But in 1992, when he approved a restructuring of the Polish hierarchy and appointed a new Archbishop of Gniezno (Henryk Muszynski), Pope John Paul II stipulated that Cardinal Glemp would remain the primate.
Pope Benedict has confirmed that Cardinal Glemp will hold that title until he turns 80.
The appointment of a new Archbishop of Gniezno is a possibility since Archbishop Muszynski will turn 75, and be required to submit his resignation, in March of this year.
However the Pope is not obligated to accept a bishop's resignation, and many prelates have remained in place for months and even years beyond their 75th birthdays. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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