Andrzej Popławski was born on April, 8, 1958 in Narew (Podlaskie voivodeship). After finishing elementary school he went to the Orthodox Seminary in Warsaw. In 1977 he entered St. Onufry Monastery in Jabłeczna. On February, 15, 1979 Andrzej was ordained a deacon by Bazyli (Doroszkiewicz), Metropolitan of Warsaw and All-Poland. Hierodeacon Andrzej (Popławski) started learning in the Seminary in Jabłeczna. He was ordained a priest by Bishop Szymon (Romańczuk) and in 1980 during the first week of The Great Lent the priest was tonsured by Metropolitan Bazyli into Stavrophore rank, taking the name Abel.

Abel became a parish priest in Komańcza a year later, where he organized the construction process of a parish house. The church in Zyndranowa was built by his initiative. In 1983 he was transferred to the parish in Przemyśl. In 1984 priest Abel went to the parish in Munich (Germany), where he was invited into by Bishop Mark. He also conducted services in parishes in: Landshut, Ingolstadt, Stuttgart, Ludwigsburg, Regensburg, Augsburg. Priest Abel returned to Poland two years later. He was elevated into the rank of archimandrite and became the abbot of the Monastery in Jabłeczna and a rector of the Seminary.

On March, 25, 1989 in Warsaw archimandrite Abel was ordained a bishop. New Bishop became a leader of the reestablished on the same day Lublin- Chełm Diocese. In 2001 he was elevated into Archbishop rank.