2 months late with a response, Ard Mhacha? Not like you! I guess that living in the racist centre of Europe, with more race hate, particularly against east Europeans, than anywhere else does qualify you to comment on affairs in Poland doesn't it.

I on the other hand can say nothing. After all my Father is only Polish. I have cousins in Byelostock, Gdansk and Gdynia. My grangparents fled from Poland during WW11, not wanting to be oppressed by either the Germans or Russians. Oh - my Grandfather was ordained a Russian Orthodox priest when he came to England so he was not at all religious.

My Great Aunt Olga, who stayed in Poland and died this year at nearly 100 years old, was a regular attender of the local Catholic Church where she met and spoke at leangth to a certain Pope John Paul 11. Now, let me think, where did he come from?

Of course you are right, these are all old people. Just like my cousin Jarek in Gdynia who, in his 20s during the mid 1980s, attended the Catholic Church for his trade union meetings. Solidarity or some such. Nothing ever came of them of course becasue the Church supported them. In such a secular country, which the CIA fact book believes to be nearly 90% Roman Catholic with over 75% practicing, the church does of course mean nothing.

Now, having established that I have no idea what is going on in Poland, apart from regular mail, email and phone calls from relatives who live there - Oh and discusions with the young people who are not related but who I work with and go to the same shops as I go and live in one of the most densely Polish areas of the UK - Let us discuss how you came about your information.

Possibly in a bar where 'What is you religion' is still a very loaded question? Maybe on the streets where your neighbour is quite happy to admit to everyone that he is from eastern Europe? When he 'could have added that a visit from a Cromwell like ogre was not necessary' did he mention that lecturing from clergy was not needed because they have no need to preach to the converted?

I look forward to your comments.

Cheers

Dave the Gnome