Toronto, March 23, 2023
His Excellency David L. Cohen
The Ambassador of the United States of America
The Embassy of the United States
490 Sussex Drive
Ottawa, Ontario
K1N 1G8
Re: TVN 24 violates media integrity standards to attack St. John Paul II by manufacturing falsehood (Franciszkańska 3)
Dear Mr. Ambassador,
On behalf of the World Association “Polonia Republic” as well as the Polish community in Canada, I am writing to you to protest categorically against attempts by TVN24, an American television station operating in Poland, to defame the person and work, greatness, and holiness of Saint John Paul II, the greatest Polish hero, the authority of the Millennium as well as the powerful symbol of the American victory over the Soviet Union in the Cold War.
The authors of the Franciszkańska 3 program broadcast by TVN24 accuse St. John Paul II of hiding crimes committed by three priests during his work at the Archbishopric of Krakow, Poland. Yet, they use old Communist files containing fabricated falsehoods manufactured to prosecute the Catholic Church and the Polish nation, omit relevant opposing information, and ignore important legal and historical contexts. As such, the program itself demonstrates evident characteristics of manufacturing false evidence against St. John Paul II, reminiscent of the strategy pursued by the Communist persecutors.
Therefore, it is clear to us that American TVN24 violates the fundamental standards of media integrity, both Polish and American. This violation is one of many anti-Polish infringements by the TVN 24 station. However, because of the unique stature of Saint John Paul II in Poland, the latest defamatory program is of such proportions that it may turn traditionally pro-American Polish society against the US for the first time in history. Since Poland is the greatest and most reliable American strategic ally in continental Europe, undermining the Polish popular support for close cooperation with the United States seriously harms both American and Polish interests.
We would like to thank you for your kind attention to this matter and express our trust that the damaging, substandard actions of TVN24 will meet swiftly with the necessary interventions by the competent US authorities, thanks to Your Excellency’s able assistance.
Best regards,
Lidia Sokołowska-Cybart
World Association “Polonia Republic”
Member of the Executive Board
Canadian Section
Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
Email: lidia.s.cybart@gmail.com
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