Rival Polish Ceremonies

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31029, 7 April 1966, Page 17

Rival Polish Ceremonies

(N Z P A.-Reuter—Copyright) WARSAW, April 6. Polish authorities announced yesterday they would hold mass celebrations on April 16-17 at the same time and place as Roman Catholic Church festivities marking 1000 years of Christianity in Poland. Cardinal Wyszinski. the Polish Primate, and 68 Polish bishops travel to Gniezno on

April 14 for a two-day episcopal conference with masses, sermons and millenium ceremonies.

Gniezno is the oldest diocese in Poland, a nation i where most people are' Roman Catholics. The church leaders move! 30 miles south-west to Poznan on April 17 for further solemn observances. i Yesterday’s “Trybuna Lu i du,” the Polish Communist (newspaper, said that in Gniezno and POznan on April 16-17 the authorities would hold public celebrations commemorating the Polish Army’s forcing of the Oder river in 1945 against retreating Wehrmacht units. Two big soccer matches i have been fixed for May 3, a I peak moment in the religious programme when thousands of Polish pilgrims converge on a shrine at Czesochowa, south-west Poland. On that date in the nearby coalmining centre of Katowice Hungary will play Poland in a soccer international while the British team. Tottenham Hotspur, will play in Warsaw. Between April 16 and May 8 national relay races will be held from north to south and Mong the western Polish frontier. During nine weeks of re-

ligious festivities in Poland this summer tourist officials are to restrict foreign entry. The visa curb chiefly affects Austria, the United , States. France, Belgium, West Germany and Britain. The curb is likely to keep ; out bishops, church groups [and journalists during pea': j moments of the church mili leniiun programme. i The decisions follow State I accusations that the church is trying to establish iuelf as a state within a state.