Off Beat - Jerzy Urban goes to church
By engaging in the dubious business venture, Nie's editor is also proving a point that he's been harping on about since being deposed as the last communist government's spokesman 13 years ago: Polish law maintains double standards in matters of the cloth, he says.
Some six years ago, a 14-year-old girl suffered a debilitating spine injury when a tree branch fell on her while she was on church property. The incident happened in Dalików, a small town 17 kilometers from Łódz. The child's mother sued the property's administrator and won the case, demanding zł.400,000 in damages and a pension. But Urban claims that Polish law would leave the victim in this case without proper recompense. This is because the law is interpreted in such a way that church buildings, or property associated with religious services, may not be sold in an auction; therefore the property may not be sold in order to pay the victim of the accident, despite the court's ruling. Urban contests that the lawmakers originally intended that restrictions should include only the sale of items such as chalices and priests' frocks used in ceremonies, and not buildings.
So he has opted to step in and attempt to bid for the property and the church building itself, as a way of offering the victim compensation but also to launch a business venture. The declaration typifies Urban's religious stance that finds regular ink in his successful weekly Nie. But, Urban asserts, it's a business venture through and through. "I prefer to get on people's nerves in such a way that it brings in income as well," Urban told the Business Journal.
Fully aware of the worrying implications, Urban has mused that he might renovate the Church and open a disco and an escort agency.
Such considerations fall into the purview of Nie, a publication that many Poles find revolting despite its claim to have over two million readers. The magazine's website describes itself as "a highly critical, humorous, muckraking magazine on the front-line against nationalism, clericalism and bigotry, rightist parties and factions, 'Solidarity', Lech Wałęsa."
Urban says he's acting in those interests. "The source of the Dalików issue is that the church has not paid claims that have been assigned by the court," he says. "In reality, the church is legally capable of taking on debt, but there is no way for the lenders to reclaim their capital." He says that he is taking to task the fact that all indebted institutions are not treated the same. It is this factor that goaded Urban to buck-up: "So the aim of my action is to demonstrate that the church in many respects is exempted from legal responsibility."
Seeming very pleased with himself, he adds, "No one apart from me would dare to set up a disco in a church because the Catholic Church would make business life very difficult for them."
A rational price for the church building itself would be the zł.400,000 plus the cost of the girl's pension, he said. He was not optimistic that he would immediately be able to make the purchase at that price. But he considered that for the right price, he could buy the property whenever he wanted: "Indeed I could purchase it. It's only a matter of price. It depends how much a demonstration would have to cost."
He declined to give an estimation of the capital and energy needed to procure the asset.
"I think that combining a disco with an escort agency is an incentive to come to the place and will also multiply the minor annoyance for the church for as long as they don't pay the victim."
Some six years ago, a 14-year-old girl suffered a debilitating spine injury when a tree branch fell on her while she was on church property. The incident happened in Dalików, a small town 17 kilometers from Łódz. The child's mother sued the property's administrator and won the case, demanding zł.400,000 in damages and a pension. But Urban claims that Polish law would leave the victim in this case without proper recompense. This is because the law is interpreted in such a way that church buildings, or property associated with religious services, may not be sold in an auction; therefore the property may not be sold in order to pay the victim of the accident, despite the court's ruling. Urban contests that the lawmakers originally intended that restrictions should include only the sale of items such as chalices and priests' frocks used in ceremonies, and not buildings.
So he has opted to step in and attempt to bid for the property and the church building itself, as a way of offering the victim compensation but also to launch a business venture. The declaration typifies Urban's religious stance that finds regular ink in his successful weekly Nie. But, Urban asserts, it's a business venture through and through. "I prefer to get on people's nerves in such a way that it brings in income as well," Urban told the Business Journal.
Fully aware of the worrying implications, Urban has mused that he might renovate the Church and open a disco and an escort agency.
Such considerations fall into the purview of Nie, a publication that many Poles find revolting despite its claim to have over two million readers. The magazine's website describes itself as "a highly critical, humorous, muckraking magazine on the front-line against nationalism, clericalism and bigotry, rightist parties and factions, 'Solidarity', Lech Wałęsa."
Urban says he's acting in those interests. "The source of the Dalików issue is that the church has not paid claims that have been assigned by the court," he says. "In reality, the church is legally capable of taking on debt, but there is no way for the lenders to reclaim their capital." He says that he is taking to task the fact that all indebted institutions are not treated the same. It is this factor that goaded Urban to buck-up: "So the aim of my action is to demonstrate that the church in many respects is exempted from legal responsibility."
Seeming very pleased with himself, he adds, "No one apart from me would dare to set up a disco in a church because the Catholic Church would make business life very difficult for them."
A rational price for the church building itself would be the zł.400,000 plus the cost of the girl's pension, he said. He was not optimistic that he would immediately be able to make the purchase at that price. But he considered that for the right price, he could buy the property whenever he wanted: "Indeed I could purchase it. It's only a matter of price. It depends how much a demonstration would have to cost."
He declined to give an estimation of the capital and energy needed to procure the asset.
"I think that combining a disco with an escort agency is an incentive to come to the place and will also multiply the minor annoyance for the church for as long as they don't pay the victim."
