‘What did the pope know?’: Poles divided over John Paul II abuse cover-up claims

A picture of Pope John Paul II projected onto the presidential palace in Warsaw, Poland in March. Photograph: Kuba Stężycki/Reuters

With under six months to go before a parliamentary election that is expected to be closely fought, a surprise figure has entered the Polish political field, despite the fact he died in 2005: Pope John Paul II.

The legacy of John Paul II, who was born Karol Wojtyła and was archbishop of Kraków before becoming pope in 1978, is under scrutiny after a recent book and television documentary accused him of covering up for paedophile priests before he became pontiff.