Nie editor charged with offending Pope John Paul II

Prosecutors on Friday charged Nie editor Jerzy Urban, once a spokesman for the communist government, with insulting Pope John Paul II before the Pontiff's trip to his homeland last year. Urban, notorious for lampooning the Roman Catholic Church in his controversial weekly, called the pontiff, "A senile man," who should, "Go to bed, pick his nose...or gobble caviar instead of coming to Poland". The article entitled "Itinerant Sado-Maso" caused an outcry well beyond Catholic circles. Prosecutor Maciej Kujawski said Urban could face up to three years in jail if convicted of offending the head of a foreign state, in this case the Vatican. When asked whether he did not feel guilty of hurting others feelings Urban replied, "Each of my articles is written to offend someone". (Rzeczpospolita, Feb. 8-9, A1, C1; Reuters) J.K.