The Catholic Church in Poland has thrown its influence into the fight against anti-Semitism in that country, the New York Times reported today. This is the first evidence of public Catholic action against anti-Semitism which is costing many Jews their Jobs in government and industry and has brought on a new wave of emigration.
In a Warsaw dispatch, the Times said that the Catholic weekly Tygodnik Powszechny, which is recognized as representing the views of the Catholic Primate of Poland, declared: “It must be stated explicitly that anti-Semitism cannot be reconciled with Catholicism. Anti-Semitism is completely pagan in essence. “
The Catholic weekly, alluding to the argument current in Poland that Jews alone have been responsible for Poland’s Communist regime and economic distress, said: “The Jews have their rights as equals whether there are 3, 000, 000 or 100, 000 of them. They have their share in the history of our country, in its economy and culture. The anti-Semites assert that this share of the Jews was evil and harmful. There is no basis for such a sweeping assertion. “
The Times report also revealed that passport applications for Jews now or formerly army officers and in the secret police who seek to go to Israel, have been refused under new Polish regulations. Meanwhile, it noted, pleas by the United Workers (Communist) Party to Jewish professionals and technicians not to quit the country had fallen on deaf ears.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
