Polish bishops to apologise for wartime massacre of Jews
The Polish Catholic bishops plan to issue a formal apology for a massacre of Jews which took place during the Second World War. There have been no allegations of church involvement in the massacre of 1,600 Jews in Jedwabne in 1941. But evidence published last year, suggests it was carried out by Poles rather than German soldiers. And the church has admitted it did little officially to discourage anti-semitic feelings throughout the war years. A national debate is currently taking place on war-time attitudes towards Jews in Poland. Traditionally the country has seen itself only as a victim of the Nazi occupation. Last year the bishops issued a letter apologising for the church's tolerance of anti-semitism. Fr Adam Schulz, spokesman for the Polish bishops' conference, said the apology would be made during a ceremony at All Saints' Church in Warsaw on 27 May. Fr Schulz, said: "The bishops will say sorry for the sins or the evil done in this painful event concerning Polish-Jewish relations, which recently has been revealed in the murder of Jews in Jedwabne".