Poland’s 'Popemania’

Press, 8 November 1978, Page 24

Poland’s ' Popemania’

From the “Economist,” London

The papal conclave last month was followed immediately by a Polish politburo one. The party leaders’ doubts shone through the gingerly treatment of the news from Rome in the media — which made a glaring contrast with the Polish peoples mood of euphoric elation. In the end. the regime bowed and Poland's President, Mr Henryk Jablonski, went to Rome. Die whole long ceremony was carried live from Rome by Polish radio and television, the first time a religious service had been shown. Contrary to a mistaken report from Warsaw, no attempt was made to censor the Pones remarks. More than 1000 Polish pilgrims were given visas to travel to R-'me in special aeroplanes laid on by the Polish airline. One feeble finger was wagged bv the authorities’ three well-known Catholic intellectuals. associated with the human-rights campaign in Poland were refused visas to go to Rome. The regime now has to find

other ways of showing that it is not helpless against Popemania. The Minister for Religious Affairs, Mr Kazimierz Kakol, said that the Pope would be welcome to pay a visit to Poland, but added that is a matter for “bilateral discussion.” The visit could take place next year, to coincide with a special jubilee in Cracow, the new Pope’s former archdiocese.

The regime faces another test. Village church halls are increasingly used by dissidents. Just before he was elected Pope, Cardinal Wojtyla had agreed that church premises in Cracow could be used by the unofficial “flying university” organised to teach subjects ignored or distorted in the official State universities. Too tough a crackdown by the Government is out of the ouestion in Poland’s present delicate economic and political State, where trouble is looming with both farmers and workers. Yet some way will have to be devised to show that the. party is still master in Poland.

Mr Edward Gierek has one crumb of comfort. He is not the only East European leader with a papal headache. The new Pope said a few words in his first address not only in Polish and Czech, but in Ukrainian and Lithuanian — the languages of the two most militant peoples of the Soviet Union — and in Russian.