FROM A SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
A PLEA made by Catholic bishops in Poland for the end of civil strife in their country was reinforced last Sunday by Pope Paul.
The Pope told the midday crowd in St. Peter's Square that he would like to extend his appeal for peace to all places stricken by internal conflict. Vatican officials said they thought he was also making particular reference to the trouble in Northern Ireland.
The Polish bishops made their peace appeal in a joint pastoral letter commenting on the food and price riots in northern Poland last December. They called on Poles to set the day aside as a day of prayer.
In Rome, members of the Polish community in exile attended a Mass celebrated by Mgr. Ladislao Rubin, Polishborn secretary of the In ternational Synod of Bishops. The collection at the Mass was destined for the families of riot victims in Poland.
Pope Paul said he was united with the prayer of the Church in Poland and with that of the "faithful, patient, religious Catholic people." He told a small crowd gathered in the rain that he also wanted to extend the prayer to all nations, that they might experience internal peace — especially those suffering civil war, or the denial of basic human rights, including religious liberty.
The Pope said that he prayed for countries suffering "the premeditated recourse to violence," or bedevilled by the "advocacy of revolution as an end in itself," and for any place where "unjust and cruel repression" was in evidence.
Where there was no solidarity, brotherhood or community spirit, there could be no real order, freedom, nor a secure peace, the Pope said.