Taking its lead from Rome

Poland, at least anecdotally, appears to differ from most European countries, in that Catholicism is still a way of life for many people, including, crucially, its youth. Although attendance levels may be falling, the Church still holds a dominant position in public life, something it has failed to do in many Western European countries.

The Polish Catholic Church is not without its problems, however, and chief among them must be Father Tadeusz Rydzyk, the renegade priest turned mini media tycoon. His views, and those of the media under his thumb, are clashing with a Church desperate to present itself as progressive, a process largely begun by Pope Benedict XVI's predecessor. The current government's willingness to appear on the Father Director's radio and TV stations is worrying for many, given the anti-Semitic tone Radio Maryja's programs have sometimes taken.

The Israeli Ambassador recently expressed concerns to President Kaczyński over the new coalition, and in particular the nationalist League of Polish Families. The Anti-Defamation League has also recently voiced its anxiety in these pages. President Kaczyński has responded by saying that he, his office and Law and Justice were guarantees that "anti-Semitism in Poland has no chance."

One of the clearest signals the current administration could make in this regard would be to distance itself from Radio Maryja. The party has no need to resort to the Rydzyk empire to get its message across to its Catholic supporters and voters. The Church has already attempted to distance itself from Father Rydzyk; the Polish government should follow in its footsteps.