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Catholic Church in Poland decries burning of Jewish effigy on Easter
Top Bishop responsible for relations with Judaism said the church would 'never tolerate manifestations of contempt towards Jewish people'
The Catholic Church in Poland condemned the burning of a Jewish effigy on Easter weekend in a small town in the country’s southeast.
“The Catholic Church will never tolerate manifestations of contempt towards members of any nation, including the Jewish people,” Bishop Rafal Markowski, chairman of the church’s Committee for Dialogue with Judaism, said on Monday, according to the AP.
On Friday, residents of Pruchnik beat and burned a doll with a black hat, sidelocks and a large nose meant to represent the biblical figure of Judas, the disciple who betrayed Jesus. Though Jesus and his disciples were all Jewish, some Christians have associated Judas in particular with Jews and used it as a reason for supporting antisemitism.
The ritual drew condemnation from Jewish organisations and Israeli politicians.
Polish Interior Minister Joachim Brudzinski also denounced the incident, calling it “idiotic, pseudo-religious chutzpah” and referring to the participants as “Satans.”
בלעדי! אנטישמיות בפולין: אנשי העיירה פרוכניק הכו ושרפו בובה בעלת מאפיינים סטראוטיפיים יהודיים בערב ליל הסדר. הבובה שסימלה את יהודה איש קריות שבגד בישו, הולבשה בסממנים יהודים אנטישמיים מובהקים: ציציות, מגבעת חרדית, אף ארוך ונכתב עליה: "יהודה" ו"בוגד" @kann_news צילום: J-nerations pic.twitter.com/de7x9lu0Zo
— Antonia Yamin אנטוניה ימין (@antonia_yamin) April 21, 2019
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