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WORLD NEWS Wednesday 8 May 2019

Pro-LGBT poster with revered icon stirs Poland

By MONIKA SCISLOWSKA campaigning that would
Associated Press avoid provoking some
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — groups in society.
Rights groups and govern- The case has highlighted
ment critics in Poland pro- the clash in predominantly
tested Tuesday after police Catholic Poland between
temporarily detained a hu- the freedom of speech
man rights activist for put- and laws banning hostil-
ting up posters depicting ity against religious beliefs.
the country's most revered On social media, debate
Catholic icon with the LGBT raged between critics of
rainbow on the halos of the government who said
Mary and baby Jesus. it was an abuse of power,
Prosecutors in the central and Catholics and back-
city of Plock said the wom- ers of the conservative rul-
an has been questioned ing party who argued their
and has heard charges of feelings were intentionally
insulting religious feelings hurt.
and desecration of the Deputy Justice Minister Pa-
icon of Mother of God of tryk Jaki called the posters
Czestochowa, popularly part of a campaign to "hu-
known as the Black Ma- miliate Catholics" and said
donna of Czestochowa, it has to be stopped.
a painting housed at the In this photo taken in Krakow, Poland, May 6, 2019, picketers with posters of Poland's most-revered The dispute came ahead
Jasna Gora monastery in icon of Mother of God of Czestochowa with the LGBT rainbow colors added to its halos. of this month's European
the city in southern Poland Associated Press Parliament elections.
since the 14th-century. In recent weeks, the ruling
The activist, 51-year-old Elz- About 300 people with a Poland, said the Polish au- member Jerzy Buzek said rightwing Law and Justice
bieta Podlesna, last month giant rainbow flag and thorities' harsh reaction was things like altering the re- party has described the
placed posters with altered holding posters of the al- "inconceivable." The War- vered icon's image "should LGBT rights movement as
images of the icon on walls, tered icon heard speeches saw-based Helsinki Foun- not take place because a danger to Polish families
garbage bins and mobile from human rights activists dation of Human Rights they can insult people who and children. It seemed to
toilets near St. Dominik's as they staged a peaceful found the raid on Podle- are deep believers." be tapping into a belief
church in Plock. She did protest in downtown War- sna's home and her brief Dariusz Rosati, a former left- held by some Poles that
not physically damage the saw. detention "hard to under- wing foreign minister who liberal values have been
icon, which was venerated Earlier Tuesday, European stand." is now running for the Euro- forced on them as a result
by pontiffs including Pope Council president Donald But former Prime Minister pean Parliament, suggest- of Poland joining the EU 15
John Paul II. Tusk, who was in his native and European Parliament ed using less controversial years ago.q

Pope: Commission on female deacons disagrees on ordination

By NICOLE WINFIELD mersion baptisms for wom- to create a commission to
Associated Press en. But he said there was study the issue in 2016. Fran-
ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE no agreement on whether cis said nothing Tuesday
(AP) — Pope Francis said these women underwent about how or whether the
Tuesday that an interna- the same sacramental or- commission results might in-
tional commission of schol- dination as male deacons. fluence any decision going
ars has failed to reach a "It's fundamental that there forward. He said members
definitive conclusion about is no certainty that there of the commission were
whether women were or- was an ordination with the continuing to study the is-
dained as deacons in the same formula, with the sue on their own.
early Christian church in same goal, as the male or- Francis is due to meet Fri-
the same way men were. dination," Francis said. day with the International
Francis told reporters re- The result will likely be a blow Union of Superiors General,
turning home from the Bal- to proponents of ordaining which had asked Francis to
kans that the commission female deacons today, look into the question as a
found evidence that fe- as well as the umbrella as- way to give women great- Pope Francis talks to reporters on his flight back to Rome, Tues-
male deacons performed sociation of religious sisters er decision-making roles in day, May 7, 2019.
functions that included im- which had asked Francis the church.q Associated Press