Pope’s meeting with Polish priest does not mean change in Holy See’s stance on Jewish relations

Vatican City, Aug 9, 2007 / 11:51 am MT (CNA).-

In a press release, the Holy See Press Office said the brief greeting last Sunday between Pope Benedict and Polish priest Father Tadeusz Rydzyk, director of Radio Maria in Poland, does not affect the Vatican’s stance on Jewish relations.

The Polish priest, director of the popular radio station in Poland which is not part of the international network based in Italy and also known as Radio Maria, has been accused of anti-Semitism, which he has strongly denied.  Reacting to the greeting, some Jewish organizations, such as the Anti-Defamation League, asked for clarifications about the meeting.

The short statement by the Holy See’s Press Office states, “Regarding the requests for clarification about the kissing of the Pope’s hand at the end of the Angelus last Sunday, August 5, the occurrence does not imply any change in the well-known position of the Holy See in the relations between Catholics and Jews.”