Anti-Semite Radio Star: Father Tadeusz Rydzyk, PhD

Nadene Goldfoot
The Simon Wiesenthal Centre's Director for International Relations, Dr. Shimon Samuels, is concerned about  Catholic-Jewish relations.  Father Rydzyk, a 66 year old priest since 1971 has been condemned by several Polish bishops for inciting anti-semitism on his radio station, Marya, founded and managed by Rydzyk for the past 20 years.  He has also owned a newspaper and TV station as well.   In 2007, the BBC said that he had described the President, Lech Kacynski, as under the influence of the Jews.  This priest lived in Western Germany for 5 years before returning to Poland.  He doesn't bother to spread the gospel though his PhD is in theology.  He talks more about politics. 

Rydzyk was invited to the European Parliament last week by Polish MEP's where he said that Poland has not been ruled by Poles since 1939.  This was bringing out "Warsaw", again intimating that the country had been run by Jews.  In fact, Warsaw was the scene where Nazis had rounded up Jews from all over and held them in Warsaw in inhuman conditions, where the Jews took a last stand and fought back before being slaughtered.  In 1939, one-third of the city was Jewish.  There were 393,950 Jews living in Warsaw and were forced into a small ghetto by 1940 when the Holocaust was in full swing. 

Finally Jerzy Buzek, European Parliament President has condemned Rydzyk for harming Poland and has complained to the Holy See.  In response, Rev. Federico Lombardi, Vatican spokesman, said that "Rydzyk speaks in his own name and his statement does not involve the Holy See."  Pope Benedict XVI has reprimanded his anti-semitic broadcasts and by persisting is an embarrassment to the Holy Father. 

Catholics and Jews in Poland and the rest of the world feel that both Rydzyk and his radio progrms should be excommunicated.  My question is: If it has been going on for 20 years, why didn't any Pope stop him long ago?  In 2007 he had the audacity to call the then president's wife, Maria Kaczyniska a witch and told her that she should euthanize herself.  If that wasn't bad enough, he said that the president had cheated him. That such a man has a radio audience is indeed sad.  Why is it that deranged men such as Hitler and this hate-filled priest have such followings?  Anti-semitism has been a problem ever in the Catholic church since about 240 CE.  Such people as this priest only act as fuel for the fire of anti-semitism. 

http://www.wiesenthal.com/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=1sKWLbPJLnF&b=4441467&
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tadeusz_Rydzyk
http://www.sullivan-county.com/news/mine/timeline.htm
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/vjw/Warsaw.html
http://www.krakowpost.com/article/372  2007, no action taken