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Polish priest faces removal call | Polish priest faces removal call |
(about 24 hours later) | |
Polish President Lech Kaczynski and a major Jewish human rights organisation have called on the Catholic Church to punish a controversial Polish priest. | |
Father Tadeusz Rydzyk is accused of an anti-Semitic outburst, and of insulting Mr Kaczynski, at a conference in April. | Father Tadeusz Rydzyk is accused of an anti-Semitic outburst, and of insulting Mr Kaczynski, at a conference in April. |
Fr Rydzyk says his remarks have been blown out of proportion. | |
The Simon Wiesenthal Centre has launched a petition calling for his dismissal, and Mr Kaczynski says there must be "consequences". | The Simon Wiesenthal Centre has launched a petition calling for his dismissal, and Mr Kaczynski says there must be "consequences". |
Fr Rydzyk controls the influential Radio Maryja radio station, which correspondents say helped Mr Kaczynski's Law and Justice party win parliamentary and presidential elections in 2005. | |
Abortion | Abortion |
In tapes released by the weekly magazine Wprost, a voice alleged to be Fr Rydzyk's is heard accusing Mr Kaczynski of being in the pocket of Poland's Jewish community. | |
"You know what this is about: Poland giving [the Jews] $65bn. | "You know what this is about: Poland giving [the Jews] $65bn. |
"They will come to you and say, 'Give me your coat! Take off your trousers! Give me your shoes!'" Fr Rydzyk said, according to Wprost. | |
The speaker is also heard calling President Kaczynski a liar, and his wife Maria a "witch" because of her support for limited abortion rights, which he compares to euthanasia. | The speaker is also heard calling President Kaczynski a liar, and his wife Maria a "witch" because of her support for limited abortion rights, which he compares to euthanasia. |
"The first lady with this euthanasia... You witch, I'll let you have it. If you want to kill people, do it to yourself first," he says on the tape. | "The first lady with this euthanasia... You witch, I'll let you have it. If you want to kill people, do it to yourself first," he says on the tape. |
'Jew-hatred' | 'Jew-hatred' |
Fr Rydzyk has accused Wprost of provocation, but has not denied making the comments. | |
The Simon Wiesenthal Centre, which campaigns against anti-Semitism and extremism, said Fr Rydzyk was guilty of "leveraging Jew-hatred to promote his extremist agenda". | |
President Kaczynski said that if the tape was genuine, the insult must have consequences. | President Kaczynski said that if the tape was genuine, the insult must have consequences. |
His brother, Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski, said it was a "serious problem" which Fr Rydzyk's superiors in the Church needed to address. |
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