Polish Church leaders have expressed surprise at criticism of a joint
August appeal for reconciliation with Russia's Orthodox patriarch,
after several priests refused a nationwide instruction to read the text
to their parishes."This document is directed to both nations, to all people of good will, but especially to the faithful of the Catholic Church in Poland and the Orthodox Church in Russia - to those who take their faith seriously," said Archbishop Stanislaw Budzik of Lublin.
"To be honest, we didn't expect resistance among our faithful and priests to the recommendation that this document be read at Sunday Mass."
The appeal is not being read in Russian churches and is not scheduled to be discussed by Orthodox leaders until next February.