WARSAW, Feb 18 - A Polish Catholic bishop appeared in court on Wednesday to face charges of holding off on reporting child sexual abuse by priests in his diocese, making him the most senior church leader in the country to stand trial for such an offence.

The high-profile case underscores the extent to which accusations regarding paedophilia have shaken the authority of the church in one of Europe's most devoutly Catholic nations. In 2024, a bishop and an archbishop resigned over negligence in handling sexual abuse cases.