Former head of Poland's Roman Catholic church diesJanuary 24, 2013 - 12:39 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Cardinal Jozef Glemp, the longtime head of Poland's influential Roman Catholic church at a time when it played a key role in the fight against communism, has died. He was 83, The Associated Press reported. Jozef Kloch, a church spokesman, said in a statement that Glemp died Wednesday, Jan 23 evening in Warsaw. Glemp had been ill for many years, and the Polish news agency PAP said he had lung cancer. Earlier in the day Warsaw Archbishop Kazimierz Nycz had asked the faithful to pray for Glemp, noting that his condition was deteriorating. Glemp oversaw the church at a critical time in its history and in that of Poland, a largely Catholic nation. He was the head of the Polish bishops' conference from 1981 to 2004. Until 2009 he also held the role of primate, the top leadership role. His years of leadership largely coincided with the papacy of the Polish-born Pope John Paul II, who was elected pope in 1979. In the following years, the church enjoyed huge influence in Poland thanks to John Paul's authority and his role in inspiring the Solidarity movement of Lech Walesa that helped topple communism in 1989. A key moment for Glemp as church leader came in 1981, when communist authorities imposed the harsh crackdown aimed at crushing Solidarity. Some democracy activists at the time faulted Glemp for failing to confront the regime forcefully, but said any seemingly conciliatory gestures were meant to try to prevent violence in the nation. Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Titus, Bilirakis lead legislation to sanction Azerbaijani war criminals Representatives Dina Titus (D-NV) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) have introduced the bipartisan legislation. Armenia: Defense Ministry warns against involving army in political processes The Ministry’s statement came after a video surfaced online, showing soldiers joining the protests in Tavush. Scholz hopes Armenia-Azerbaijan peace treaty will be signed this year German Chancellor Olaf Scholz hopes that a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan will be signed this year. Ucom equips four bus stops in Ijevan with free Wi-Fi Ucom now provides free Wi-Fi coverage in smart bus stops in four communities of Ijevan. |