Warsaw

A Polish Roman Catholic priest has won a defamation case against Poland's main ex-communist newspaper, Trybuna, after suing it for describing Pope John Paul II as a "simpleton curate."

Supreme Court judge Gerard Bieniek ordered the newspaper to apologize for offending the "religious and patriotic feelings" of the priest, Rev. Zdzislaw Peszkowski.

"Although Father Peszkowski was not directly hurt by this article, he is, as a Catholic priest, particularly close emotionally to the Pope, and can therefore make this claim," said Mr. Bieniek. The judge dismissed an accompanying claim for financial damages.