When Msgr. Hilarion Capucci made a bravado declaration in an Interview after his Papal audience May 8 to the effect that the Pope, who fought in his country (Poland) against the Nazis, “had” understood” Capucci’s “problem, ” he omitted the Pope’s reply in their private audience.
According to reliable sources, when Capucci told Pope John Paul II, “I defended my people just as you did yours in Poland, ” the Pope raised his finger at him and said, “In Poland we defended morality without engaging in politics whereas you engaged in politics without taking morality into account.”
While there has been “no comment” by the Vatican on Capucci’s statements, informed sources reveal he is being watched very closely because of the Vatican’s honor in holding to its agreement with Israel at the time of Capucci’s release in 1977. He was freed on condition that he would not engage in politics or return to the Middle East.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.