WARSAW, Poland — The Prosecutor’s Office in Bialystok has ended an investigation of a Polish priest who spoke of Jews being a “cancer” during a sermon, determining that no hate crime had been committed.

In a sermon on April 16 in Bialystok, Father Jacek Miedlar spoke of the “cancer which swept Poland,” apparently meaning Jews. He stressed that political correctness and tolerance enslave Poles.

According to the prosecutor, Miedlar “referred to the historical content and the Bible, pointing to examples of negative behavior of the representatives of the Jewish community from the time of slavery in Egypt, and generally referring to modern times.” The speech did not stigmatize a particular nationality, the prosecutor said Tuesday.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

On the same day Miedlar, a known nationalist, wrote in response to the decision on Twitter: “Bialystok investigation discontinued! Zero tolerance for ‘Jewish cowardice’. Salut!”

He attached a picture showing Poles performing a Nazi salute taken on the night of June 23, 1936, when a group of Polish nationalists seized the city of Myślenice for several hours. During the siege, the nationalists beat Jewish residents and destroyed Jewish shops.

After a few hours Miedlar removed the post.

Miedlar also withdrew from the Congregation of the Missionaries, a religious order founded in 1625.

“The persecution of gay, liberal and Jewish groups led me to the fact that I can’t do my pastoral work,” he said, according to the Onet.pl website.

The Forward is free to read, but it isn’t free to produce

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.

Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.

This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism you rely on. Make a gift today!

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.

$90 $180

$360

Other amount