World IN BRIEF : POLAND : Pontiff Denounces Jewish-Catholic Rift

Pope John Paul II sought anew to heal the historic rift between Polish Catholics and Jews on a visit to Kielce, Poland, where at least 42 Jewish Holocaust survivors were killed in 1946. During a rain-soaked Mass in a field, the Pope invoked the slayings against the backdrop of anti-Semitism that has at times tainted Poland’s turn toward democracy. He also alluded to Poland’s current debate over abortion, appealing to his compatriots to “prevent further destruction of the Polish family.” Polish legislators are considering a church-backed bill to reverse a liberal abortion law adopted under the Communists in 1956.