Vatican Nuncio demands Radio Maria stay out of Poland’s politics

Warsaw, Poland, Apr 6, 2006 / 22:00 pm

In a letter sent this week to the bishops of Poland and to the provincial superior of the Redemptorist community in Poland, who own Radio Maria, the country’s Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Jozef Kowalczyk, demanded the station “fulfill its pastoral obligations” and stay out of politics.

“I ask and demand that the Bishops’ Conference of Poland consolidate its efforts to ensure that Radio Maria and other media outlets linked to this station fulfill their pastoral obligations and the Church’s principle of staying out of political battles,” the archbishop wrote.

The Nuncio said, “The Vatican is aware that the Polish bishops have already criticized the activity of Radio Maria and reiterated the obligation of priests and religious to refrain from participating in politics, but it believes that the issue of the stations continues to be too troublesome and uncomfortable.”

Archbishop Kowalczyk also asked that the intervention of the Holy See be taken as a serious warning, and he invited the provincial of the Redemptorists to adopt adequate and effective measures to resolve the matter.

In 2005 during a visit to the Holy See, several Polish bishops indicated that Radio Maria had participated too directly in the political campaign of a specific party.