Polish right demonstrates in favour of Catholic TV
Around 20,000 demonstrators rallied Saturday in Warsaw in support of a Catholic TV station denied the right to a free digital signal because of lack of transparency in its funding.
The protest, organised by the conservative opposition party and the Catholic Trwam TV channel, started with an open-air mass attended by Jaroslaw Kaczynski, the head of the main Law and Justice (PiS) opposition movement. Continue reading
Church subsidy reform signals Polish revolution
A revolution is under way in Poland as the government moves to cut large subsidies for Poland’s powerful Catholic Church and give taxpayers more choice in funding it.
The rise of a new anti-clerical party is symptomatic of growing pressure to reduce the traditionally strong ties between Church and State as more liberal influences flood in from western Europe. Continue reading
Polish Catholicism Under Siege?
The reality is probably that the Catholic Church in Poland has been modernizing more slowly than the state as Poles catch up on what they “missed,” mainly because of external circumstances, in the 19th and 20 centuries. Continue reading
Clerical power thwarts victims in Poland
Although prosecutors have brought charges against dozens of Polish priests, securing sentences has been difficult. When imposed, these have mostly been light, suspended jail terms. Most convicted clergy are still serving in parishes, often working with children, while their victims face hostility and exclusion. Continue reading
Recognition of nun who saved Jews during the Holocaust reflects progress in Catholic-Jewish relations
Though the victims were mostly Jews, the Holocaust has affected all humanity. Not only were non-Jews, notably the Roma, also murdered by the Nazis, but the fact that the crimes were committed in civilized Europe has shaken the very foundations of western culture. Continue reading
Polish party to put mask on statute of Christ in internet protest
Poland’s liberal Palikot’s Movement party will put a Guy Fawkes mask on the country’s giant statue of Jesus Christ to protest at an internet anti-piracy treaty, party leader Janusz Palikot said Monday. Continue reading
Polish right-wing party wants law to protect crucifix in parliament
Poland’s right-wing opposition Law and Justice party appealed to parliament Wednesday to protect a crucifix in the assembly hall from efforts by a new liberal party to take down the Christian symbol. Continue reading
Polish Parliament Votes on Crucifix Ban
The Parliament of Poland may soon ban showing a crucifix on all government buildings. A new secular oppsition party is demanding the removal of a crucifix that hangs in the nation’s parliament. Continue reading
Polish Party Wants Crucifix in Parliament Removed
A new left-wing party in Poland demanded Wednesday the removal of a crucifix that hangs in parliament, a move seen by many citizens in the mainly Roman Catholic country as a provocative challenge to a cherished symbol.
The party, Palikot’s Movement, filed its request with the new parliamentary speaker, Ewa Kopacz. It argues the crucifix violates a constitutional guarantee of a secular state. Continue reading
Polish bishops make excessive demands
Poland’s Catholic bishops called on Friday for a reform of church financing.
They want each citizen to be able to pay one percent of his or her income tax to the church of their choice. In return they said they would be prepared to dispense with the government money from a church fund. Continue reading
