Proceedings began on Wednesday at the district court in Tarnów, Polish state news agency PAP reported.
Prosecutors allege Jeż, head of the Tarnów diocese, took his time notifying law enforcement about the sexual abuse of persons under 15 by two priests under his authority, identified as Stanisław P. and Tomasz K.
Jeż did not plead guilty and gave lengthy explanations to the court.
The age of consent in Poland is 15, for both boys and girls. Strict rules apply to sexual activity by people under 18 years of age.
It is the first criminal trial in Poland of a Catholic bishop linked to the duty to report suspected child sexual abuse by clergy.
The indictment was first filed with the court by prosecutors in 2024.
Poland tightened its rules in 2017, making it a criminal offense to fail to inform authorities about certain serious crimes, including sexual abuse of minors.
Before that change, reporting was treated as a moral or social duty rather than a legal obligation punishable by the courts.
Under the current rules, the duty applies to everyone, including clergy.
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