Two Poles poles apart

from Desmond O'Grady in Rome "TWO Poles must understand each other when they talk of the most important problems of Poland and Europe", said General Wojciech Jaruszelski, after an audience of an hour and a quarter with the Pope on Tuesday.
The points of attrition between Polish Catholics and the regime suggest, instead, that Jaruszelski and John Paul II are poles apart. But the audience was a recognition for the Polish leader and that was the point of his three-day visit to Italy and the Vatican.
After the audience the Polish minister for religion, Adam Lopatha, who accompanied Jaruszelski, said negotiations for the exchange of diplomatic representatives were welladvanced. Before coming to Rome he had made it clear that the Polish government is anxious to establish full diplomatic relations. This would be proof that internal "normalisation" has been achieved.
But the Holy See is uneasy about the human rights situation in Poland and about the restrictions on Catholic publishing, access to mass media, recognition of theological degrees and the construction of churches.
Several Catholics have refused to participate in Jaruzselski's Consultative Council, and the Polish episcopacy has clashed with the Government over the private fund for agricultural development which the bishops organised.
Jaruszelski gave John Paul records by Chopin, but it may be some Lime, despite Lopatha s statement, before the Holy See is prepared to give the Polish government the recognition it seeks.
The audience was private but solemn. It could not be an official audience as the Vatican does not have diplomatic relations with Poland. But the Vatican gave it as much weight as possible and Jaruszelski had a long meeting with John Paul without interpreters. John Paul called it an "historic meeting". The audience will probably favour international acceptance of Jaruszelski, and may dispose United States authorities to drop economic sanctions against Poland which the Vatican consider damage the Polish people.
From June 9-16 John Paul will make his third visit as Pope to his native Poland. For the first time he is to visit Gdansk, birth-place of the Solidarity movement which he openly supported. It is said to be in the context of a pastoral visit to northern Poland which he has not made during previous trips.
The Pope will be looking for real progress in Church-State relations during his trip. During the Pontiff's 1983 pilgrimage General Jaruszelski agreed to plan to channel Western aid to private farmers—a scheme which eventually collapsed, much to the Pope's disapproval.
The possibility of a summit between the Pope and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev has this week been hinted at as a possibility for next year.
Mr Gorbachev is said to be keen for the Pope to visit the Soviet Union and it is known that the Pope has been anxious for some time to go to Lithuania, which has close links with Poland and is strongly Catholic.
It is not known whether or not General Jaruszelski passed a message to the Pope from the Russians but there have been reports of Soviet-Polish consultations prior to the General's Italian trip.