Tadeusz Rydzyk
Tadeusz Rydzyk ( May 3, 1945 in Olkusz ) is a Polish Redemptorist priest and media entrepreneur. He founded and directs the national Catholic radio station Radio Maria.
Life
Early years
Father Rydzyk studied at the Higher Seminary of the Redemptorists in Tuchów in Tarnów, it was followed by a postgraduate course of biblical theology at the Akademia Teologii Katolickiej in Warsaw. In 1971 he took his monastic vows and was ordained a priest. He then worked as a catechist in Thorn, Szczecinek and Krakow. In Krakow, he also worked as a university chaplain. From 1986 to 1991 he lived in different monasteries in Germany.
Radio Maria
After his return to Poland in 1991 he founded the radio station " Radio Maria ". The huge success led him in the following years further establishing companies, including the " College of Social and Media Culture " ( Wyższa SzkoĹ Kultury i Społecznej Medialnej ) in Toruń / Thorn, whose rector he is, the Catholic television station "TV Trwam " and the daily newspaper " Dziennik Nasz ".
The companies founded by Father Rydzyk deal of content primarily with the teaching of the Catholic Church as well as socio-political issues. Official goal is evangelization. Critics accuse him, he propagating nationalism as well as " traditional" Catholicism and make the teaching of the Catholic Church distorted dar. Also because of anti-Semitic statements and political posturing are they in the criticism. Supporters and Friends of Radio Maria and TV Trwam contrast appreciate Father Rydzyk as a charismatic personality, the aufbreche the monotony of the media and fight against the moral decay and for Catholic values . His influence on the political scene is considered to be immense.
The Vatican has maintained during the pontificate of John Paul II distance to Rydzyk, the Polish Pope granted him no audience. The Curia in Rome temporarily put him on a vow of silence, as if to mobilize his followers against the accession of Poland to the European Union. The long-term primate of the Catholic Church in Poland, Cardinal Józef Glemp and the archbishop of Krakow, Stanislaw Dziwisz, the former private secretary of Pope John Paul. II in, stood openly against Rydzyk, could not prevail with this line though.
During the presidential campaign 2005, his plea for Lech Kaczyński with crucial may have been for its election success. Originally, he was the party's League Polskich Rodzin close, then supported but rather the twin brothers Jaroslaw and Lech Kaczynski and the PiS party, especially during the election campaign for the parliamentary elections in 2007. Due to its positions there were conflicts with some Polish bishops who in the attitude Rydzyk the media, however, no single line represented. In addition, the radio station Radio Maria is not subject to the Polish episcopate, but the Warsaw Province of the Redemptorist Order. Some accuse him of that certain questions the financing of its so-called " empire " are unexplained to this day. However, concrete evidence of violations of the law have not yet been rendered.
Beginning of July 2007 was the father sit up by a verbal gaffe during a lecture at the College of Social and Media Culture: He threw President Kaczyński ' devotion to Judaism " before and called his wife literally as " witch ", you should perform the euthanasia. These statements were known by a ( created by a student ) recording in the public and caused massive controversy.
End of July 2007 it was announced that Israel is only now becoming known utterances Rydzyks invited by the Polish government and the Catholic Church in Poland with great emphasis the investigation from the spring of 2007, in which he had described and declared Jews as greedy, the Polish President Lech Kaczyński was the Jews submissive and subservient. The Israeli ambassador to Poland, David Peleg, called it " one of the worst anti- Semitic attacks in decades ." On 10 July 2007 called the Simon Wiesenthal center of Pope Benedict XVI. , That Tadeusz Rydzyk is relieved of his functions because of his anti-Semitic remarks. But a little later, there was a meeting with Pope Benedict XVI for the first time Rydzyks.
As reported by the Polish prosecutor's office on 21 August 2007, because of the above-mentioned allegations against Rydzyk recorded investigations are set for "insulting the head of state and the Jewish nation."
Caused a stir another racist Sager 2009 when in July he welcomed originates in the West African Republic of Togo at a Franciscan Pilgrims' Mass in Czestochowa with the words: " Another Black. Oh God, who has never been washed. " The remark was made more than 100,000 believers and was transferred from Radio Maria and Rydzyks broadcaster TV Trwam. The Togolese religious man is a Polish citizen and has lived in Poland for 15 years. Later Rydzyk presented the award is a joke and apologized for it.
Had a more anti-Semitic derailment in June 2011 an official complaint from the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the Holy See the result. Rydzyk Poland had called a " totalitarian state," and claimed that it was " since 1939 no longer ruled by Poland " was. This was widely interpreted as alluding to an alleged Jewish conspiracy.
Media reports of end of September 2007, according to Rydzyk is not expected to receive requested by him for his " College of Social and Media Culture " in Toruń in the EU funding in the amount of 15 million euros. Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced in 2011, to emphasize Rydzyks " unearned privileges".