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He called on them to pray for the late Father Stanisław, the other victims, and the suspect himself, and asked that they not blame all Ukrainians for the actions of a single individual.
The priest also stated that he forgives the man suspected of the attack.
Father Adrian, who was injured during the attack on the monastery in the Polish city of Jarosław, called on the faithful to pray not only for the victims of the tragedy but also for the suspect himself.
He delivered his sermon two days after the attack. The priest appeared before the congregation wearing a bandage and showing signs of injuries on his face.
During his address, he asked people to pray for the late Father Stanislav, the other wounded, and the man suspected of the attack.
“He needs this prayer the most,” said Father Adrian. The priest also stated that he personally forgives the suspect. “From this place, as a disciple of Jesus Christ, I want to say very clearly—on my own behalf, on behalf of Father Marek, and on behalf of Father Stanislav—that we forgive!” he emphasized.
The priest asked that Ukrainians not be blamed
Separately, Father Adrian appealed to people, asking them not to hold all Ukrainians responsible for the attack, since, in his words, this was the act of a specific individual.
“Do not blame the people from whom the attacker came, because the evil was committed by a specific person—an individual with a name, a life, and who is accountable for his actions. Other people did not do this. It was one single person,” the priest said.
He also recalled that after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began, the monastery helped Ukrainians who came to Poland.
According to Father Adrian, this is precisely why it is especially important now to prevent hatred and hostility. “I ask you, do not respond to evil with evil; respond with love, support, and understanding. I ask you to respect and support one another,” he urged.
What Happened at the Monastery
The attack took place on the morning of September 24 in Jarosław, in Poland’s Podkarpackie Voivodeship.
According to preliminary reports, a man armed with a kitchen knife attacked five people. Among the victims were three priests and a woman. One of the wounded priests, 67-year-old Stanisław Zboinowicz, died in the hospital. Four other people were injured.
Police detained the suspect directly at the scene. He is a 31-year-old Ukrainian citizen, identified by Polish authorities as Igor M. According to the investigation, he had arrived in Poland from Germany shortly before the attack.
After his arrest, the man was taken into custody. A court in Jarosław sentenced him to three months of detention. Due to his health condition, the suspect is being held in a hospital setting.
What is known about the suspect’s condition
The Polish Prosecutor’s Office reported that the man was diagnosed with acute polymorphic psychotic disorder.
According to psychiatrists’ findings, at the time of the examination, he was in a state of severe psychomotor agitation. Experts also noted disruptions in his thought processes and stated that the man is currently incapable of logical communication.
At the same time, this expert assessment describes his condition at the time of the examination.
It does not, in and of itself, determine whether the man was of sound mind at the time of the attack. The question of his mental state specifically during the crime must be determined separately as part of the investigation.
The suspect did not serve in the Ukrainian army
Following the attack, reports appeared in Polish and Ukrainian media suggesting that the suspect may have served in the Ukrainian army. Vasyl Bodnar, Ukraine’s ambassador to Poland, refuted this information.
According to him, the Ukrainian side has no evidence that the man ever served in the military.
According to the ambassador, the suspect’s mother also stated that her son had never served in the Ukrainian army. The investigation into the attack in Jarosław is ongoing.
Polish law enforcement authorities must establish all the circumstances of the tragedy and the suspect’s motives.
Meanwhile, the wounded priest urged the faithful not to respond to hatred with hatred and not to hold an entire nation responsible for the actions of a single individual. This was reported by Gosc niedzielny.
In Poland, prosecutors have filed charges against a 31-year-old Ukrainian citizen suspected of carrying out a knife attack at a monastery in Jarosław. If found guilty, he could face life imprisonment.
The Ukrainian man was admitted to a psychiatric hospital following the fatal attack in Poland.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the attack by a Ukrainian citizen on the Benedictine nuns’ abbey in the Polish city of Jarosław, which resulted in the death of a priest and injuries to four other people.
The attack occurred on the morning of September 24 on the grounds of the Yaroslavl Abbey on Benediktinskaya Street.
Around 9:30 a.m., police received a report of a stabbing. According to preliminary information from the Polish police, a 31-year-old Ukrainian citizen stabbed four men and one woman.
All of the victims were taken to the hospital. Three men sustained serious injuries, and the fourth died at the hospital.