Polish Divorces

Poland, to which Pope Pius XI was once a lively, winter-sports-loving Papal Nuncio, is predominantly Roman Catholic (71%). It is also one of the few remaining nations where it is practically impossible to be married or divorced outside the church. Since the Catholic Church does not grant divorces, a Pole who wishes one must be a member of some other church. Last week it. appeared that, just as U. S. citizens get divorces by becoming temporary residents of Nevada, so Poles were getting them by becoming temporary members of the Orthodox Church.

Few years ago Poland's Reno was a small Calvinist church in Wilno. So brisk was its business that several bishops were tried and fined for bootlegging divorces. The traffic passed to the Orthodox Church, proceeded scandalously. The usual method of getting a divorce was to pay some clergyman 500 zlotys ($90). In Warsaw alone 1,200 divorces were granted during the past two years.

Last week the District Attorney of Warsaw confiscated 1,000 suspicious-looking divorce petitions in the Orthodox consistory house, obtained indictments not only against five Orthodox bishops but also against the highest prelate in the church, heavy-bearded Archbishop Djonizy (Dionitius) Waledynski. "Your Grace," cried the District Attorney, "I accuse you of abusing your legal powers!" For such abuse the Archbishop faced a possible sentence of five years in prison.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.