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Pope polishes Polish
17/05/2006 15:20 - (SA)
Warsaw - German-born Pope Benedict is
brushing up on his Polish ahead of a trip to his predecessor's
native country later this month, organisers said on Tuesday.
Benedict will be in Poland from May 25 to 28, visiting the
biggest Nazi German death camp complex of Auschwitz-Birkenau as
well as sites associated with the late John Paul, including his
home town of Wadowice and Krakow.
"The Pope did not waver for a moment about visiting Poland
and is learning Polish, showing his love for our country and for
John Paul," said Father Robert Nencek, aide to Krakow Cardinal
Stanislaw Dziwisz.
Officials say the Pope, known to speak German, French,
English, Italian and Spanish, is practising pronunciation of
consonant-heavy Polish words to soften a hard German accent
heard when he reads phonetically written speeches in Polish.
Polish masses
Benedict will start masses in Polish and later switch to
Italian before handing over the reading to local clergy, who
will continue the sermon in Polish. Part of the liturgy will be
carried out in Latin and he will pray in German at Auschwitz.
Some Jewish groups have objected to him speaking at length
in German at the camp, Polish Arch-Bishop Stanislaw Gadecki -
responsible for the Auschwitz part of the trip - told daily
Gazeta Wyborcza. The Pope will also make a speech there in
Italian, the Vatican's international language.
Benedict served briefly in the Hitler Youth during World War
Two when membership in the paramilitary organisation was
compulsory. He has said the brutality of the Nazi regime in
Germany helped him to become a priest after the war.
About two million Poles are expected to attend his two public
masses, with the faithful set to receive special booklets with
translations into Polish.
- Reuters
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South Africa
