CHURCH LEGAL IN POLAND AGAIN

Poland's parliament granted the Roman Catholic Church in this overwhelmingly Catholic country legal status on Wednesday, for the first time since the Communist takeover in 1944. Poland is also expected to establish diplomatic ties with the Vatican, a move that Church officials say will come by fall. The new law will restore to the Church schools, hospitals and land seized by the state during the 1950s. It also establishes the Church's right to build churches, teach religion, and establish and run Catholic schools. It will be able to can broadcast Sunday mass and religious programs, set up radio and television stations and publish newspapers and books.