Editing August Hlond (section)

===Relations with Polish Jews===
In 1936, Cardinal Hlond, as Primate of Poland issued a pastoral letter on Catholic moral principles.<ref>Hlond, August (1936) [http://patrimonium.chrystusowcy.pl/kandydaci-na-oltarze/sluga-bozy-kard-august-hlond/dziela/1933-1939/List-pasterski-O-Katolickie-zasady-moralne--_871#.V6cx-bW5idQ ''List pasterski: O Katolickie zasady moralne'']. 29 February 1936.</ref> The long (5,600-word) letter covered Catholic ethics policy, ethics principles and a section on "sins" (''Z Naszych Grzechów'') that addressed Christian shortcomings to [[Great Commandment#Love thy neighbour as thyself|love one's neighbours]] in accordance with God's law. The latter section included a brief discussion of the "Jewish problem" (''Problem żydowski''):
<blockquote>So long as Jews remain Jews, a Jewish problem exists and will continue to exist (...) It is a fact that Jews are waging war against the Catholic church, that they are steeped in free-thinking, and constitute the vanguard of atheism, the Bolshevik movement, and revolutionary activity. It is a fact that Jews have a corruptive influence on morals and that their publishing houses are spreading pornography. It is true that Jews are perpetrating fraud, practicing usury, and dealing in prostitution. It is true that, from a religious and ethical point of view, Jewish youth are having a negative influence on the Catholic youth in our schools.<ref name=modras>{{cite book| last= Modras |first= Ronald |date=1994 | url =https://books.google.com/books?id=GUdgbXsA1-EC&pg=PA346 |page= 346 | title = The Catholic Church and Antisemitism: Poland, 1933-1939 | publisher = Overseas Publishers Association N.V.|isbn= 9781135286170 }} Reprinted 2004 by Routledge.</ref>
</blockquote>

Hlond tempered these remarks with an admission that "not all Jews are this way" and forbade assaults on Jews or attacks on their property: 
<blockquote>There are very many Jews who are believers, honest, just, kind, and philanthropic. There is a healthy, edifying sense of family in very many Jewish homes. We know Jews who are ethically outstanding, noble, and upright. One may love one's own nation more, but one may not hate anyone. Not even Jews. (...) it is forbidden to demolish a Jewish store, damage their merchandise, break windows, or throw things at their homes (...) it is forbidden to assault, beat up, maim, or slander Jews. One should honor and love Jews as human beings and neighbors<ref name=modras/>
</blockquote>

Yet, despite a warning to Catholics not to take an anti-Jewish moral stance, interspersed in the letter's words of friendship was an explicit condemnation of Jewish culture and also Judaism for its rejection of [[Jesus|Jesus Christ]]. 
<blockquote>It is good to prefer your own kind when shopping, to avoid Jewish stores and Jewish stalls in the marketplace (...) One should stay away from the harmful moral influence of Jews, keep away from their anti-Christian culture, and especially boycott the Jewish press and demoralizing Jewish publications. (...) We do not honor the indescribable tragedy of that nation, which was the guardian of the idea of the [[Christ|Messiah]] and from which was born the Savior. When divine mercy enlightens a Jew to sincerely accept his and our Messiah, let us greet him into our Christian ranks with joy.<ref name=modras/>
</blockquote>
 
Hlond's letter was criticized by Polish Jewish groups who saw it as offering support and a rationalization for [[antisemitism]].<ref>{{cite book| first =Richard S.|last= Levy | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=Tdn6FFZklkcC&pg=PA310 |title= Antisemitism: A Historical Encyclopedia of Prejudice and Persecution | publisher = ABC-CLIO | date= 2005 | pages= 310–11|isbn= 9781851094394 }}</ref>

Another controversy was caused by Hlond's reaction to the [[Kielce pogrom]], that took place in Polish town of [[Kielce]] on 4 July 1946. While condemning murders, Hlond denied the racist nature of this crime.<ref name="Kent"/><ref name="Phayer"/> He saw the pogrom as a reaction against Jewish bureaucrats allegedly serving Communist regime, [[Żydokomuna|a common excuse among Polish antisemites]].<ref name="Phayer">{{cite book| title =The Catholic Church and the Holocaust, 1930-1965 | url =https://archive.org/details/catholicchurchho00phay | url-access =registration | first= Michael|last= Phayer |date= 2000 | publisher = Indiana University Press | isbn =9780253337252 }}{{page needed|date=May 2018}}</ref> This position was echoed by [[Cardinal Sapieha]], who was reported to have said that the Jews brought it on themselves.<ref name="Kent">{{cite book| date= 2002| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=AZZoTdLB4nwC&pg=PA128 | title= The Lonely Cold War of Pope Pius XII: The Roman Catholic Church and the Division of Europe |first= Peter C. |last=Kent |page= 128| publisher = McGill-Queen's Press |isbn = 9780773523265}}</ref>

The [[American Jewish Committee]] questioned [[Pope Francis|Pope Francis's]] decision to name Hlond as [[Venerable]] in a letter sent to Cardinal [[Kurt Koch]] (the letter was also sent to the CCS and to Cardinal [[Pietro Parolin]]). The AJC noted that Hlond was anti-Semitic in his writings. The AJC's letter further argued that, after the 1946 [[pogrom]], Hlond called the Jewish victims communists and said they had themselves to blame.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ajc.org/news/ajc-questions-papal-decree-to-canonize-polish-cardinal-hlond|title = AJC Questions Papal Decree to Canonize Polish Cardinal Hlond &#124; AJC|date = 23 May 2018}}</ref>