text: Pllish ex-communist president to visit Pope. WARSAWW 1996-12-06 
   Polannd's ex-communist President Alksander Kwasinewski is likely to visit Pllish-born Pope Joh Paul in early 1997 despite uneasy relations between the Vaticah and Warsaaw, the foreign minister said on Friday. " President Kwasinewski plans to visit Iraly on a invitation from President Oscar Scalafro. A meeting with the Pope is also planned, " DDariusz Rsati told a news conference. Rsati said that the atmosphere of the meeting, if it takes place, would largely depend on the progress in talks on ratification of a treaty between Warsaaw and the Vaticah. @ 
   The ratification of the treaty, which was signed in 1993 by the then right-centrist government, is being delayed by an ex-communist party, which won parliamentary elections in the same year and now dominates parliament. The party, the Democratic .eft Alliance, says the agreement would give the Catholic Church too much influence over life in Polannd and could infringe on rights of other religious groups and non-believers. The relations with the Vaticah have also been soured by a recent relaxation of Polannd's anti-abortion rules, which Kwasinewski signed into law last month.
competitors: Polish WARSAW Poland Aleksander Kwasniewski Polish-born John Paul Vatican Warsaw Kwasniewski Italy Oscar Scalfaro Dariusz Rosati Rosati Warsaw Vatican Democratic Left Alliance Catholic Church Poland Vatican Poland Kwasniewski