The Church of Silence in Communist Poland Author(s): Richard F. Staar Source: The Catholic Historical Review, Vol. 42, No. 3 (Oct., 1956), pp. 296-321 Published by: Catholic University of America Press Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/25016077 . Accessed: 28/02/2011 12:25 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of JSTOR's Terms and Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp. JSTOR's Terms and Conditions of Use provides, in part, that unless you have obtained prior permission, you may not download an entire issue of a journal or multiple copies of articles, and you may use content in the JSTOR archive only for your personal, non-commercial use. Please contact the publisher regarding any further use of this work. Publisher contact information may be obtained at . http://www.jstor.org/action/showPublisher?publisherCode=cuap. . Each copy of any part of a JSTOR transmission must contain the same copyright notice that appears on the screen or printed page of such transmission. JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact
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THE CHURCHOF SILENCEIN COMMUNIST POLAND F.
Richard
Staar1
the funda does not recognize government a of the Church2 dual of sovereignty?that principle in spiritual matters and that of the State in temporal affairs. The communists consider that their authority alone should embrace the of human The regime's objective, therefore, never totality experience. The
current
mental
western
Polish
has been merely the separation of Church and State in Poland but a complete elimination from the lives of the Church and religion of this aim requires of the people under its control. Achievement a definite policy of isolation from the Vatican's influence, creation and universal toward the centralized of public opinion antagonistic within the of and of the Church, antagonisms aspect provocation leaders with persons itself by replacing bona fide religious Church to compromise. willing of 1956 is in the Poland of the Catholic Church never its in modern times has hold over the Probably paradoxical. never has its position been more Polish people been stronger, but of the population is the percentage Not only large precarious. in the to all Poles statistical almost it the make of enough religion The
position
real religion. The "crowded churches of the Roman Catholic faith to which
sense, but it is also the people's testify to the continued vitality the majority 1Mr. Arkansas. 2 The
Staar
since to
belongs
that
are
Poles
of
is professor "Church"
word
Church,
the
of
almost faith.
Trybuna
per ludu
in Harding
science
political
is capitalized ninety-eight
. . ."3
attached.
to denote
throughout cent of
the
Polish
Tribune]
[People's
College,
Searcy,
the Roman
Catholic
population
officially March 8,
(Warsaw),
1950. The
remaining
had groups Orthodox
religious Greek
approximate .
Jews Methodists Baptists Others
Christlicher
Nachrichten
Dienst
Ostdeutschland
Seraphim, source 43. The 3William H. 31,
1956.
Cf.
for
und
the number
Chamberlin, also pertinent
50,000
.
20,000
excerpts
by Peter
H.
30,000
..300,000 March 20, 1950; as cited (Berlin), Polen das Heutige (Braunschweig, of Jews "Restive
:
50,000 .
.
Total
follows
as
memberships
.150,000
is the New Satellite," from the
296
York Wall address
Times, Street
May Journal,
by Archbishop
p. 17, 1956.
1953),
May Jozef
RICHARD
297
STARR
F.
I The communist rulers of Poland are making a continuous attempt to influence this overwhelmingly Catholic population by a combina means. an tion of avante garde of "progressive" They are creating the regime at closely with is being accused the clergy the broad masses solidarity with
priests who collaborate that the remainder of
same
the
time
of
reactionary lack of of the nation, activities, and conspiracy with the Vatican. to create a The aim is apparently of to obedient The who will of the bow the will State. body priests other broad aspect in the communist of the Church penetration : the Polish Commit takes the form of several distinct organizations tee of Peace
the Catholic
Partisans, Friends.
Children's
Social
and the Society
Club,
of
Efforts on the part of the communist government toward organiz a a small of subordinate have achieved group ing clergymen actually amount of success. An estimated a out of total of 1,700 priests about 11,000 have attended provincial conferences of the "progres sives."4 The majority of these come from among former prisoners some were
in Nazi
concentration camps, while forces attached to the Red Army
chaplains in the Polish War II. In late 1949, Boleslaw Bierut held (at the time president of communist Poland) a reception at the Bel weder Palace inWarsaw for those priests who were participating in a conference sponsored by the Union of Fighters for Freedom o and Democracy [ZBoW'iD-Zwiazek Bojownikow Wolnosc
i Demokracje].5
Gawlina,
leader
spiritual
inWorld
Some
of Poles
of the priests
at
abroad,
as printed in the London Tablet, CCVII F.
"Ten
Staar,
of
the
Polish
4 Estimated
on
the basis
Marian in New
Wojcik York,
No.
was
created
organizations to combine
for
5ZBoWiD order
Republic,"
'People's'
of
reports
in the
two Warsaw
Slowo
Reverend
eleven
Oratory
in London
the Brompton
(April 28, 1956), 393; and Richard
Word] [Universal powszechne This does not mean, that few years. however, The latter has never is that high. passed
Agency
to Bierut
American
Mercury,
(November, 1955), 133-137.
LXXXI papers,
Years
remarked
"with
in Biuletyn 3 (January
ludu, Trybuna of actual the number the
300
[Bulletin]
of
19,
6.
1955),
in September, veterans and
1949, as a former German
the
class,
working
communist
and
peasant
daily news over the past collaborators
mark, according the Inter-Catholic
result
of
political masses,
fusion
to
the
Press
among in prisoners, and the whole
CHURCH OF SILENCE IN COMMUNIST POLAND
298
that the absence of an agreement between the hierarchy and the gov ernment made the work of the clergy more difficult. Bierut is reported to have stated in reply that the lack of a Church-State understanding was caused by ...
the
people's which
unfavorable State.
are
often
...
of
attitude In many
simply
cases
criminal,
Church higher can hear one
toward
authorities from
priests
the
. . . words
anti-State.6
At this conference a so-called Commission of Priests attached to was founded. the Union of Fighters for Freedom and Democracy on a larger scale were not undertaken until February, Activities when of a bi-weekly this the commenced 1950, group publication entitled Ksiadz
in December, obywatel [Citizen Priest], superseded so-called Kuznica These 1950, by kaplanska [Priests' Forge]. form the which have taken patriot-priests enjoy special privileges, a of preferential at treatment time when other church property was of their funds for the reconstruction being confiscated, government church buildings, and consideration in the matter of taxes. The patriot-priests, to create the nucleus of a schism who were in all the Catholic Church, are unpopular among (from appearances) the clergy as well as among the laymen. Their conferences, held in almost all provincial for the of purpose capitals gaining adherents, so far have not generated enthusiasm. The any widespread ZBoWiD Priests' its activities on propa Commission concentrated support for the phony "peace" campaign and the govern gandizing ment's of West the remilitarization It protests against Germany. also tried to convince the peasant masses that grain deliveries were in support of the just, called on other priests to use their authority State's
planned economy, and declared tion to be compatible with both moral
the 1952 communist constitu and the Christian principles
conscience.
was the to date of the patriot-priests achievement greatest a at in of conference Wroclaw former German (Breslau) sponsorship The
to fight and work toward permanent independence, people's democracy, Partia Kalendarz na Polska Zjednoczona peace/' Robotnicza, robotniczy for 1950] Almanac 1950 rok henceforth pp. 94-95; 1949), (Warsaw, [Workers' The ZBoWiD cited as Kalendarz issued a bi-weekly organ robotniczy (1950). i lud Za wolnosc the People]. called and The [For Freedom organization
nation and
claimed 400,000 members according 6 Slowo September powszechne,
to Trybuna 1, 1949.
ludu,
June
23,
1952.
F.
RICHARD
299
STARR
of the Western Territories."7 "Defense assembled a reported that the conference from and Catholic 1,550 participants?priests Apart lay workers. the local capitular vicar, no representative of the hierarchy attended. The conference adopted a resolution upholding Poland's right to the Oder-Neisse Line against Germany's revisionist border claims.
Silesia under This call was
the slogan, so popular
to exploit If it really were the aim of the communist government the patriot-priests in an effort to split the unity of the Church, to date this goal has not been attained. Recognition of failure in this partic ular area apparently motivated the Priests' the regime to dissolve Commission attached to ZBoWiD and to issue a directive that "all forces" should be integrated with the movement of peace partisans.8 Such a situation does not signify, however, that the communists have given up their attempts to create a breach in the almost solid front of the Catholic Church in Poland. of continuous conflict and contradiction in the atmosphere of 1956 contributes to the variety of motives which directs are prob the activities of the patriot-priests. Some of these motives to found in be the attraction of social reforms, ably personal ambition, fear of the accusation that the clergy refuses to participate in the
This Poland
national
the influence of psychological reconstruction, complexes to back War World the greatest role and, II, etc. However, dating one is played by the problem of the Polish the decisive perhaps, administered territories and the danger of a German (see map) revanche? Another toward Main
vehicle
7 These
areas
and
are
the
has
"recovered
German
annexed
there,
9 Cf.
with
13, 1951. For ludu, December na zawsze sjednoczona cf., Polska
July
powszechne,
the despatch
USSR
am Main, (Kitzingen to above was held
referred
Trybuna
saw, 1952). 8 Slowo
territories"
lands
This annexation agreements. on the For data statistical
States.
conference
called to former
Poland
Ostdeutschland
1951. ered
also
refer
Potsdam
the United (Ed.), The
clergy and lay Catholics political program was the and Catholic Activists [Glowna
co-operation of Intellectuals Commission
and by the Poles Communist which Yalta
for mobilizing both with the communist
by
Sydney
15,
east
of
[siemie odsyskane] the Oder-Neisse Line
of the help and in violation has not been recognized by cf. Friedrich Hoffmann area,
1950). at Wroclaw a transcript [Poland
toward of
the
Forever
the
end
United]
of
deliv
speeches
(War
1955. Gruson
in the New
York
Times,
May
19,
1956.
?0 POLAND DIOCESAN diocesan seat 1956 diocesan boundaries 1950 International boundary or limit of administration 1937 International boundary not now effective
0
I
BOUNDARIES,
50
1
100 Miles
1
50
. -_Voivodship 0
I I I I I
0
1956
100 Kilometers
National
O Voivodship
bound capital capital
F.
RICHARD
i Dzialaczy ja Intelektualistow of Peace Partisans. Committee
Komis Polish
301
STARR
to the attached Katolickich] in 1950, it originally Founded of faculties at the Universities
of the theological comprised members from the Catholic University and Krakow, Warsaw representatives were who Catholic writers and active of Lublin,10 and many laymen in the this In November, church workers. group participated 1950, at Warsaw. Peace held second International Congress (communist)
and Catholic Activists of Intellectuals Commission began to an of At role. the 1951 it influential play increasingly beginning conference of and the first national repre clergy laymen sponsored a is The commission Catholic completely senting public opinion.11 new type of organization, differing from all other Catholic groupings The
in Poland. Including both clergy and laymen, functioning its very name signifies that it comprises an elite. Its main objective is the integration of Polish Catholics into the "peace" campaign as of the "current Polish raison d'?tat/' with well as the implementation the greatest attention the requirements of being paid to fulfilling hitherto
the Church diction. ment
in the fields
and ecclesiastical of dogma, morality, on the basis of the Church-State co-operation, in the second part of this article), (discussed
Such of 1950
juris agree is con
sidered to be the principal duty of citizenship. The commission aims at introducing a new type of public activity for clergy and lay to become a school of thought and a It is attempting Catholics. 10The only Catholic institution of higher learning left in Poland, the Catholic University of Lublin [KXJL-Katolicki Uniwersytet Lubelski], is being liquidated the by slowly in the Warsaw two year.
communist
regime. Caritas
periodical
and
departments?humanities Quoted by the Free
Europe
An stated
announcement
official that
KUL
appearing
would
operate only academic 1955-1956
the philosophy?during Wiadomosci Committee's
o zyciu
w
Poisee
[News on Life in Poland], No. 38 (September 19, 1955), 2. Restrictions a
have
of
total
Monsignor
fifty-nine Maurice
also
of priests. the training Since 1952 upon imposed to been in Poland have closed according on Religion," Con "Communism Still Wars Sheehy, (April 11, 1956), A-2937. been
seminaries S.
Cll gressional Record, 11 with 1951. Trybuna ludu, 31, Together January over eighteen to collect the commission Committee, helped tures to the Stockholm Peace manifesto. (World Council) A
similar
(from against
a
in 1955 reportedly campaign total estimated population
atomic
bomb
production.
racy [Cominform Journal]
For
obtained at
almost
26,500,000)
a Lasting
(Bucharest), May
Peace,
the
Peace
million
Partisans' Polish
signa Ibid., June 6, 1951. twenty million signatures to the "Vienna Appeal" For
13, 1955.
a People's
Democ
CHURCH OF SILENCE IN COMMUNIST POLAND
302
center for the formulation of principles to the behavior pertaining of Catholics, to tries The it mold commission i.e., public opinion. takes a definite stand against the trend called "absolute apolitical to remain a passive it impossible observer behavior," considering of life. The
chairman of the commission, the Reverend Professor Jan a pro-regime was who dean of also of the priest Faculty of the of has benefits the Warsaw, Theology University emphasized between the clergy and laymen on the flowing from all collaboration one hand and the communist on the other.12 He has government Czuj,
indicated that such co-operation would lead to a deepening of the sensus Catholicus, which it is imperative that no Catholic lose in any The activities of these pro-regime Catholics, sim public appearance. to those of Priests' to the of attached the Union Commission ilarly for Freedom and Democracy, takes place within the over-all Fighters framework of the government's It is also prin struggle for "peace." on defense of the recovered i.e., on territories, cipally concentrated and border revisionist tendencies protests against the remilitarization ofWest Germany.13 One
of the conferences
called by the Commission of Intellectuals at took in Activists Lublin, and part at Majdanek, place where two million the Nazis murdered Jews from twenty different sent out an appeal to the in Europe. countries This conference sons had of Catholic representatives thought in the nations whose and Catholic
lost their
lives in Nazi concentration camps.14 The appeal empha that the authority of the Catholic Church in the West German for anti-Polish Revisionist purposes. Republic was being exploited statements of the German those of Josef Cardinal clergy, especially are of watched K?ln, very closely by Frings, Archbishop being sized
Polish
public
12 "Krajowa of Conference
opinion.
Catholic
and
Intellectuals
Activists] 12, 1951. the Wroclaw [At
and Tomorrow] February (Warsaw), wroclawskim" 13"Na zjezdzie October powszechne, the under Warsaw delegates
from
niemieckiego" ludu, April 14 Trybuna
30,
2,
1951.
auspices
all of parts [For a Peaceful 1953. ludu, May
i dzialaczy
intelektualistow
konferencja
A of
more the
Poland.
16, 1951.
Solution
recent
katolickich" in Dzis
national
with commission, "O pokojowe of
the
German
i jutro
Conference], was conference
[National [Today Slowo at
held of
300
participation zalatwienie
problemu
Problem],
Trybuna
The
and Catholic Activists
of Intellectuals
Commission
303
STARR
F.
RICHARD
also mani
in the parliamentary elections activity during of the "people's front" the fall of 1952. At the very first meeting of Catholics in the pre-electoral the participation national conference, was established.15 definitely Many appeals were issued by campaign an active part in the to all take the commission Catholics urging reasons the Three for communist balloting. regime were supporting considerable
fested
to strengthen of the recovered the polonization widely publicized: a new war to to counteract and fulfill the territories, six-year plan, as well as any disorders inside the country. A basic postulate in the work of the Commission of Intellectuals and Catholic Activists is that its activity provides the Catholics with a voice in matters of importance to the nation as a whole. This is an to stand the achievements of social the upon attempt apparently in Poland, connecting the latter with the Catholic Weltan were time the in progress between the schauung. negotiations Church and the government the second of this part (see article) for the purpose of reaching an agreement, the semi-official organ revolution
At
of the Catholic . . .
Church
wrote:16 a purely
is becoming
Religion that
socialism Polish
socialism
is a sad
thing the
what It our
brothers,
prayers
efforts.
and
is
that
the
March
National
25, this
i Swieckich Front
imprisonment
collective
never
arisen. in one
cease
and to
down
. . .
century. have
communists,
will
comes
to be
We
to see
want of
camp the
and between
believers
purpose
of
our
One
Catholic
is still Activists17 the Catholic of population of its spokesmen, Dominik
1952. "Stanowisko Group], 1949.
organization of Priests
grupy
was and
Dzis
i Jutro"
powszechny
Przeglad
on changed Activists
Lay
[Position [Universal
October
of
the
Review] 15,
to
1953,
Komisja [Krajowa to the All-Polish
attached Katolickich] Dzialaczy two weeks occurred after This only the primate, Stefan Cardinal Wyszynski, by the
Committee. of
the
this gap communists.
Commission
Duchownych People's
of
the whole
essentially
differences
great
Intellectuals
Ibid., September 10, 16 Stanislaw Wawrzyn, and Tomorrow" "Today name
In
. . .
15
(Warsaw), 17 The
matter twentieth
the
us. This
of Commission to breach attempting and
in
and
socialists
The
Poland
like
such
with
in Christ?together
. . . The
a voice.
have
matter.
private
it is not Christ and the Church but Marx
field of the modern world,
the
arrest
communists.
and
CHURCH OF SILENCE IN COMMUNIST POLAND
304
Horodynski, recently urged in a parliamentary ernment recognize the following "facts" : of religious Poles
Millions it as
own
their
of
The Polish
building
that the gov
and view
socialism
system." has
Experience "enemies
are "selflessly
speech
shown
that
as
non-believers
well
as
believers
can
be
socialism."
revolution has produced a broad socially progressive
Catholic
movement.
Within of
the Polish Catholic community "a sharp struggle" over the cause
socialism
exists
between
"old
and
new."18
from the two organizations there exists Apart already described, another small is that yet group unique because of its representation in the Polish parliament. It is known as the Catholic Social Club and is headed by one Boleslaw [KKS-Klub Katolicko-Spoleczny] Piasecki, movement.
founder pre-war This man was
northeastern with
Poland
toward
in 1936
of
the rightist by the Soviet the end of World War
arrested
youth Falanga secret police in II and charged
anti-Russian
in the Wilno and Nowogrodek partisan activities areas. He is reliably reported to have saved his life at this time in return for a promise of collaboration with the communists.19 The aims of the Warsaw are to use this group, which was regime obviously
founded in 1945, to break up Catholic Church unity in Poland. The communists also want people outside of Poland to believe that there is an area of genuine co-operation between the government and the Church. The Catholic Social Club allegedly constitutes proof that can be published freely (the KKS Catholic newspapers in June, 1956, was publishing only one paper, Kierunki, mentioned below, note 24) and that Catholicism has made its peace with the present realities in Poland. Actually, this group has only a very small amount however, of support from the population. one of the six parliamentary Witold Bienkowski, deputies (total from the Catholic Social Club, openly admitted that the interests 444) of the Catholics could not be adequately defended by the KKS because the latter was not large enough.20 He also acknowledged that Tygodnik
powszechny
[Universal
Weekly]
!8 New York Times, May 19, 1956. 19 L'Osservatore Romano, June 29, 1955. 20 Slowo March 9, 1947. powszechne,
(published
in Krakow
F.
RICHARD
Curia by the Metropolitan reactivation subsequent by of the Catholic Social Club of KKS were limited, due nity was not represented
305
STARR
in March, until its confiscation 1953, and was very critical the pro-regime Catholics) for the development and that possibilities to the fact that the entire Catholic commu
in parliament. Bienkowski also admitted Social Club was supported by the communist regime some individuals who had that KKS had disappointed
that the Catholic
and disclosed been ready to co-operate passively with the government. In order to justify the financial subsidies, which it receives from the regime, the Catholic Social Club has increased its efforts to create and publicize a theory designed to reconcile Catholicism with dialectical Previous efforts of this sort have seemed to be more materialism. of an attempt to justify publicly of the authors the opportunism a new dogma rather than a studied effort to develop and proselytize as
and,
been
have
such,
an
In
unsuccessful.
conspicuously
article
entitled "Our Guiding Boleslaw Piasecki formulated Principles," the objective of his group as being the liberation of the Catholic "from the bonds by which it had been linked with the community A second task mentioned in this connection was perishing world." the ideological campaign in the press "to safeguard the Polish nation from subversion," presumably directed against representatives of the Vatican. The article continued : . . . The
creation
faithful of
the
Catholics basic
of
a
theoretical
in
the
contemporary of our recent
objectives
are linked with
We
raison
contemporary
are
certain former
Mikolajczyk's of Piasecki's
group.
socialist
similarities Polish Both
for
revolution
of
participation constitutes
one
activities.
not merely capitalism, a socialist
form
practical
camp, not only by the call of
the revolutionary
d'?tat,
the world from liberating the necessity of establishing
There
and
conviction
by but
also
because
economic
and
the
usefulness
of
are
convinced
of
social
the policy
between
Peasant
of we
of
Party
individuals
. . .21
structure.
(1945-1947) sought to establish
Stanislaw and that a modus
21 Dzis
i jutro, November Cf. also the manifesto 1950. 26, by published and "Czwarta rocznica signed Andrzej Micowski, by a certain z panstwem" kosciola of the Church-State porozumienia [Fourth Anniversary as well as the latest statement of policy 14, 1954; Agreement], ibid., April by this
group
Piasecki [Ideological
1955.
himself
in
Dynamics
"Ideologiczna dynamika of International Events],
wydarzen Slowo
miedzynarodowych" powszechne,
June
29,
CHURCH OF SILENCE IN COMMUNIST POLAND
306 vivendi.
The principal difference is that the peasants did not then and do not now wish to participate in the process of communization. conserve to their and to arrive at a compromise class They attempted a into coalition with the communists and later by becom by entering a was crushed ing legal parliamentary opposition party. Mikolajczyk because he would not adapt himself to the communist dictatorship. Boleslaw Piasecki22 has followed a different path. He abstains from the responsibilities of government, in which he probably would not be allowed to take part, but at the same time tries to make his influence felt among the Catholic masses. Whatever his true motives may be, Piasecki has been recognized as sufficiently dangerous to issue a decree23 condemn for the Vatican istotne ing his newspaper Dzis i jutro as well as his book Zagadnienia at "Pax" in Warsaw 1954. The [Vital Problems], published by editorial discussing this decree stated in part that Piasecki "has made himself the defender of a perfect agreement between Catholics and in the political-social communists field, but in reality he is a promoter of the total surrender of Catholics to communism."24 More
than the activities directed against the adult popu dangerous are those instigated by the the Catholics by "progressive" itself in its to effort the minds of the youth. This regime capture means is an of intensive goal being sought by campaign of indoctrina lation
tion. Prior
to 1939 many of Poland's schools were operated by the In 1946 only one-fourth of the 160 then still exist Church.
Catholic 22 The
to Piasecki attached can be by the communists importance a few "official that he was at among government guests" in Warsaw. held festival harvest Trybuna 19, ludu} September to the Belweder the preceding he had been invited Palace month,
increasing the fact
seen
from
the
national
1955.
During a conference
for "The
Political
with Bureau
five of
members the United
XV and East European Review, 23 Sacra Congregado Suprema
of
the
Polish (April,
S. Officii,
Politburo. Workers*
Cf.
Richard
Party,"
F.
Staar, Slavic
libri
et pro
American
206-215.
1956),
"Decretum
proscriptio
hibido ephemeridum, die 8 Junii 1955,"Acta Apostolicae Sedis, No. 9-10 (June 24-27, 1955), 455. 24 "La n?cessita also
ibid., November made [Directions]
Tygodnik Obviously does not never
made
di due
L'Osservatore condanne," 20, 1956, 10, 1955. On May inWarsaw. its first appearance
Romano, June 29, 1955. Cf. a new paper entitled Kierunki i futro and It replaces Dzis of the Catholics. "progressive"
as the official organ powszechny a mere of retention in name, with change decree in any way the Vatican acknowledge public
by
the communists.
the
same
which,
editorial incidentally,
board, was
RICHARD
F.
307
STARR
ing private schools were sponsored by the Church.25 By 1950 there was none. The communist regime effected this reduction by simply to the Catholic to issue the necessary permits refusing operating schools when they applied for them.26 The government began spon instruc soring its own system of private schools which ban religious tion from their curricula. Created in 1949 as a fusion of former socialist and peasant organi Friends zations bearing the same name, the Society of Children's not operates only primary Dzieci) (T~PD-Towarzystwo Przyjaciol recrea and secondary schools but also teachers' colleges, dormitories, with tion centers, in the theaters, and other projects conjunction of Enlightenment. All of the TPD institutions attempt to Ministry instill atheism and avowedly aim at bringing up the younger genera tion as firm supporters of of the communist regime. The Society Children's Friends has been officially described as a mass social organi zation "uniting all of those who desire to co-operate with the people's state in the field of educating the younger generation."27 The basic task of TPD educational
is claimed institutions
to be that of bringing
up
in the schools
and
individuals
"whose universally developed is soundly based upon thorough knowledge and upon the character of a scientific outlook on the strong foundations (i. e., Marxist) of free all and e., world, (i. religion)."28 prejudice superstition school year a total of 577 schools during the 1949-1950 Already were being operated by the Society of Children's Friends. The enroll ment in these institutions was 150,000 for the same period. Other TPD included 376 recreation halls, six mobile puppet theaters, operations the for some 80,000 children, 2,000 rural summer kindergartens summer camps, twenty-eight orphan placement of 113,000 youths in in rural areas for ages for 3,000 children, as well as 150 nurseries 4,500 infants, and 125 mother and child medical centers.29 The Polish boasted that the year 1952 brought with it a substantial communists In the few years that institutions. increase in the number of TPD were TPD to have schools claimed been had active, they 25 Christian Science Monitor, September 5, 1946. 26 Stefan w Polsce szkolnictwa of Educa Bialas, Organizacja [Organization tion in Poland] (Krakow, 1950), pp. 111-112. 2TKalendarz p. 323. robotniczy (1951), 2? Ibid. 29 Ibid. No later figures could be found, and this may be pp. 96-97. (1950), an indication that the TPD has not been successful due to resistance program by the Polish people.
CHURCH OF SILENCE IN COMMUNIST POLAND
308 . . . attained
the
confidence
and
of
respect
the working
class,
dear
become
. .
to all who desire the education of the [future] builders of socialism. TPD schools ideologically are the closest to the working class.30
It is highly probable that in time the Society of Children's Friends to spread its anti-religious the attempt throughout philosophy an entire educational of In such line with communist Poland. system a has been made the Piasecki aim, suggestion already by pro-regime
will
group that all religious teaching be removed from the public schools and that special halls be built near each school where priests could instruction.31 provide II In spite of the unwavering it enjoys amor?g the support which of the Polish population, in that the Catholic Church great majority a is in for its is This existence. country very engaged today struggle above all a struggle for the minds of the youth in Poland.32 In this field, as indicated in the foregoing, the Church ismost vulnerable. However, even government restrictions upon the Church itself have been exten severe sive and have resulted in the loss of much landed property, on charitable over limitations and control vital regime activities, statistics.
The most was passed
important legislation affecting the wealth of the in the spring of 1950,33 only a few weeks before the signing of the agreement between Church and State. This law of all land in possession of the Church provided for the nationalization with the exception of that used by parish priests for their own sub sistence. Farms retained by an individual clergyman, however, could Church
not
exceed fifty hectares land (about 123.5 acres). The remaining together with all buildings, enterprises, and livestock to be found upon it was expropriated The income by the State without compensation. m Ibid. (1952), p. 319. 31 New
York 32 Cf. Richard
19, 1956. Times, May F. Staar, "Regimentation Science
western Social 33 "Ustawa martwej utworzeniu by sion
the
henceforth
dnia
of Youth
XXXVII 1950
roku
in Satellite
(June, 1956), o przejeciu
Poland,"
South
7-19. przez
panstwo
dobr
posiadania gospodarstw rolnych of March 20, 1950 on Nationalization to Parish the Posses Priests Guaranteeing
reki, poreczeniu proboszczom funduszu koscielnego" [Law of
State
of Farms
polskiej
z
Quarterly, 20 marca
Property, Surplus and Creation of a Church
Fund],
Dziennik
ustaw
i
rzeczypospolitej
[Journal of Laws of the Polish Republic], No. 9 (March 23, 1950) ; cited
as Dziennik
ustaw.
RICHARD
309
STARR
F.
such "surplus" property was to be placed for religious and charitable purposes. from
in a Church
Fund
All of these provisions were subject to expansion and contraction in scope by decision of the Ministerial Council (rada ministrow). Some of the nationalized could be left in the hands of a property institution to use and administer, providing the Council of religious so decreed. Since the law could be subjected to considerable on both local and national levels, without additional legal manipulation it is almost impossible to judge on the basis of the implementation, alone how the law may have operated in practice.34 provisions Ministers
This statute is but one example of how every aspect of religious life in Poland today is affected by Church- State relations. The major these rather tense relations and al post-war document formalizing a modus vivendi is the agreement legedly establishing signed in April, these two between This is particularly document 1950, organizations.35 in view of the fact that the 1925 had in the which concordat, important in Poland, was past regulated the activities of the Catholic Church declared void in a resolution of the Ministerial Council.36 The official reason given for this action was that the Vatican had allegedly violated the concordat by favoring Germany inWorld War II. Im 34 Very is treated
few monographs in parts of the
have
on
appeared
following
books,
in Eastern religion as indicated: Gary
Poland
Europe.
The MacEoin, Lino Gussoni
on Religion pp. 188-214; (New York, 1951), The Silent Church and pp. 63-108; Brunello, (New York, 1954), Gsovski Church and State Vladimir Behind the Iron Curtain (Ed.), (New pp. 159-252. York, 1955), the first nor the second Neither of these volumes is very well documented, Communist
War
and Aristede
not only the last book contains excellent but also a com footnotes of translated laws and a good general survey. pendium 35 "Protokol w zwiazku i episkopatu rzadu komisji wspolnej rzeczypospolitej z zawarciem of the Joint Commission porozumienia" [Protocol Representing the Government of the Republic and the Episcopate in Connection the with
whereas
do
kosciola
an Understanding]
of
Achievement w
roznych
Different Countries] 36L'Osservatore been made be
found,
public
(Warsaw,
however,
Concordat had
been
Void], signed
the
pp.
1952),
in
"Uchwala
ze
konkordat Republic
Swiatkowski, on February
Stosunek panstwa Swiatkowski, the State toward the Church in
[Attitude
Romano, September in the official Polish
roku
stwierdzajace Government of
in Henryk of
krajach
10,
132-137.
25, journal
rzadu
1945. of
This
rzeczypospolitej
przestal obowiazywac" on September 12, op. cit., 1925.
pp.
declaration
laws Dziennik
116-117.
z
has ustaw.
never It can
12 wrzesnia [Resolution
1945 by
the
the 1945, Declaring The concordat original
CHURCH OF SILENCE IN COMMUNIST POLAND
310
that war Church-State relations in Poland were mediately following certain articles of the 1921 constitution. Even regulated officially by were as to to their those, however, subject dispute interpretation. These articles were no longer listed as binding in an official 1948 handbook37 issued by the government. Hence, prior to the 1950 agree ment the Catholic Church in Poland in a legal actually operated vacuum. The so-called Little Constitution38 did not touch upon the of the declaration subject of religion at all, and the parliamentary same year, which listed the basic rights and freedoms of citizenship, mentioned "freedom of conscience and religion."39 only guaranteeing From the beginning of 1948 until the signing of the agreement, anti formed a steady crescendo. At first, Catholic moves by the government were a press campaign revolving around the only overt manifestations attitude of the Vatican and of the Polish the allegedly Germanophile as a as in slow campaign intensification the well slight hierarchy a number There followed of arrests and education. against religious of the newspaper trials of clergy40 and a little later suppression Warszawski
Tygodnik cese
published
(Warsaw Weekly)
by the Archdio
of Warsaw.
became Stefan Wyszynski this time (January, 1949), Archbishop The death Cardinal the Hlond. of of Poland upon Primate August a to for press newly appointed leader of the Church apparently began with State authorities which had been started renewal of negotiations once before but were discontinued. Two months later a meeting took At
place between the secretary of the hierarchy, Zygmunt Choromanski, of Public Administra and the Minister Bishop of Warsaw, Auxiliary talks opened in a very unfavorable Formal Wolski. tion, Wladyslaw atmosphere, however, because the Vatican had just published a decree of the Holy Office ordering the excommu of the Sacred Congregation who
of Catholics
nication
37Prezydium
actively
rady ministrow
communism.41
supported of
[Presidium
the Ministerial
Council],
The
first
Rocznik
polityczny i gospodarczy 1948 [Political and Economic Yearbook for 1948] (Warsaw, 1949), pp. 8-10; henceforth cited as Rocznik polityczny (1948). 38"Ustawa dzialania
z dnia
konstytucyjna
organow
najwyzszych
19
lutego
rzeczypospolitej"
1947
roku
o ustroju
[Constitutional
i zakresie Law
of
February 19, 1947, on the Organization and Sphere of Activities of the Highest Organs in the Republic], Dziennik ustaws No. 18 (February 20, 1947). stoRocmik polityczny (1948), p. 11. 40 For
a
and "Church 41 Vatican July
1, 1949,
discussion State
of
these
in Poland,"
trials
in Gsovski, 1949. Note
Radio, 13, July but that the official
cf.
Stefan
Rosada
and
Jozef
Gwozdz,
op. cit., pp. 225-226. issued on that the decree was actually came almost two weeks announcement later.
RICHARD
F.
311
STARR
to this decree of Poland government by the communist to the after had its the announced appeared day willingness regime resume negotiations statement with the Church.42 The government boded ill for the future of such talks, since it declared the papal ex in Polish internal communication order to be an act of interference reaction
affairs
and
be that priests attempting to enforce the order would a Polish be law. To make certain that there would punished by legal basis upon which such clergymen could be punished, the government issued a decree which created offenses new to criminal law.43 a Church-State these complications, agreement was finally Despite on a It 1950. signed April 14, represented compromise which appeared from the beginning to work more to the advantage of the government than that of the Church. Nevertheless, the Church's position has so that in the middle of 1956 it presumably would deteriorated regard the agreement as one with which the Church could be reasonably well content, if it were only observed by the communist regime. The agree some provisions ment to the Church, which contained favorable bound the State to a definite set of rules. These were the following : of the right to teach religion
1. Recognition to
from
refrain
the
schools.
Where
schools
parents will
ing religion, schools
obstructing
where
is
religion
participation are established
have
as
in the
to send their children
were outside exclud
to such
taught.
2. The Catholic University activities
the right
in schools. Authorities
in religious observances or transformed into one
of Lublin will
be permitted
to continue
its
past.
3. Catholic organizations (together with the Sodalities of Saint Mary) will be allowed to function, although only after fulfilling the obligations established
by
a
State
decree
on
governing
organizations.44
4. The Church will be able to conduct charity work of religion within the framework of State regulations.
and the teaching
42 Trybuna ludu, July 28, 1949. 43 "Dekret wyznania"
z
dnia
[Decree
o ochronie 5 sierpnia 1949 roku wolnosci of August the Freedom 5, 1949 on Preserving
sumienia of Conscience
and Religion], Dziennik ustaw, No. 45 (August 6, 1949). 44 These
zmianie 5, 1949, Dziennik
z dnia 5 sierpnia were set forth in "Dekret 1949 roku o obligations o stowarzyszeniach" of August prawa niektorych przepisow [Decree on the Change in Certain on Organizations], of the Law Regulations No. 45 in the ordinance issued ustaw, 6, 1949) ; and (August by
the Minister
of Public
Administration
No. 47 (August 20, 1949).
implementing
this
decree,
found
in ibid.,
i
CHURCH OF SILENCE IN COMMUNIST POLAND
312 5. The statutes
Catholic and
as
6. Public worship
do
other
with
the same rights,
enjoy
defined by
publications.
traditional
in churches, meet
care
7. Religious
and religious
pilgrimages,
obstacles.
in the armed forces, prisons
and hospitals
will
be
organized.
appropriately
orders will have freedom to operate within
8. Monastic and
calling
not
will
processions
press will
Church
ordinances,
in accordance
the
with
of
laws
the
the fields of their
State.45
the Church was compelled to "guarantees," which later became of inestimable value to the com munist regime in its anti-Catholic propaganda campaign. The hier assurances : would that it archy gave In return
make
for these
concessions
1. Teach respect for the law and for State authority; 2. Call upon the faithful for an intensification of efforts to reconstruct the country and raise the standard of living; 3. Request
to change
the Vatican from
territories
recovered
the Church to
temporary
administration
permanent
in the on
bishoprics,
the
ground that these areas form an integral part of the Polish republic ; 4. Oppose the revisionist and anti-Polish strivings of the German clergy ; 5. Be guided by Polish raison d'?tat, with provision that in the fields of dogma, morality and Church jurisdiction, the pope is the highest author ity for the Church; 6. Not to obstruct the spread of production farms] in the villages; 7. Condemn
anti-State
anti-State
purposes;
for 8.
Combat
utterances
and
activities,
underground
co-operatives
the utilization
condemn
and
of
[collective
religious
penalize
feelings
clergymen
in any anti-State campaign; and guilty of participation 9. Support all efforts to make peace permanent and oppose all tendencies to create
war.46
points were extensive verbiage,
These
45 "porozumienie polskiej Government 46
a
softened in the actual document by considerably some modifying each containing clause. Never
zawarte
episkopatem" and
Swiatkowski,
miedzy
the Episcopate], op.
cit.,
pp.
rzadu
przedstawicielami
[Agreement
between
Swiatkowski, 136-147.
Representatives op.
cit.,
pp.
rzeczypospolitej of 132-133.
the
Polish
RICHARD
313
STARR
F.
of the theless, the tremendous anti-Catholic propaganda potentialities can readily be seen.47 several concessions made by the hierarchy the Church has the government state of affairs
the past six years the campaign against new of 1951 momentum. At the beginning gained that the temporary issued a declaration announcing in the western territories instituted by the Vatican was a factor aiming against the disruptive Germany During
annexed
from
interests of the people.48 This an
State and was contrary to the will of the Polish ecclesiastical nouncement ordered the liquidation of the temporary and the removal of apostolic administrators, administration appointed from these areas. A partial in August, 1945, by Cardinal Hlond, on this issue when, after a victory was achieved by the communists visit with President bishop Wyszynski,
in early February, 1951, the primate, Arch to the newly ap canonical jurisdiction granted vicars.49 Bierut
pointed capitular to permanent ecclesias In actual fact the change from temporary in the Polish territories tical administration recovered (see map) was far from definitive, although vic it did represent a propaganda were not The vicars elected for the communist tory regime. capitular by the cathedral chapters in bona fide dioceses but by diocesan councils in temporary districts. Thus the administration of the Church over of those areas was still not permanent. (As June, 1956, the Vatican to conform with de jacto still had not redrawn diocesan boundaries was made This evident circumstance national boundaries). Polish in late 1951 and again in 1952, when the whole problem came to the the end of the year in a slightly different form. Toward fore?though 47 The Affairs was
government immediately to handle Church matters.
outlined
tymczasowego
in "Uchwala statutu
an
established The
rady ministrow urzedu do spraw
Office
of organization z dnia 27 maja wyznan"
for
Denominational
this
agency
[Resolution
sprawie Council
important 1950 roku w by
the
of Ministers of May 27, 1950, in the Matter of a Provisional Statute for the Office of Denominational Affairs], Monitor polski [Polish Monitor] (Warsaw), July 8, 1950. Successive Bida
(May,
of
directors 1950
to
this
September,
Germany, Jan Izydorczyk
office
have 1954)
been ; the
the post-war
(September, 1954 to April,
pre-war
atheist, ambassador
Antoni to
East
1955) ; and a hitherto
1955 to date). Marian unknown person, Zygmanowski (April, 48 28, 1951. ludu, January Trybuna 49 to the faithful, In his message 18, 1951. February powszechny, Tygodnik as ecclesiastical the new administrators called upon them to recognize the primate of a split among the possibility the clergy. This may have averted superiors.
314
CHURCH
OF
SILENCE
IN
POLAND
COMMUNIST
DIOCESAN INCUMBENTS, 1956 Name
of Diocese
Seat
Incumbents
I. Gniezno-Poznan
Metropolitan 1. Gniezno
A rea
Gniezno
(Arch.)
Gniezno
2. Poznan
Poznan
3. Chelmno
Pelpin
4. Wloclawek
Wloclawek
Stefan
(m, c, i) Stefan Wyszynski, (m, c, i) Baraniak, Antoni (a, i) Bernacki, Lucjan (vg, i) Dymek, Walenty (o) Jedwabski, Franciszek (a) Marlewski, Franciszek (vg) Kowalski, Kazimierz (o) Czaplinski, Bernard (a) Pawlowski, Antoni (o) Korszynski, Franciszek (a) Wyszynski,
II. Warsaw Metropolitan Area
Warsaw
5. Warsaw
(Arch.)
Warsaw
6. Lodz
Lodz
7. Lublin
Lublin
8. Plock
Plock
9.
Sandomierz
Stefan (m, c, i) Stefan (m, c, i) Wyszynski, Waclaw Majewski, (a) Choromanski, Zygmunt (a) Klepacz, Michal (o) Wyszynski,
Tomczak,
Sandomierz
Siedlce
10. Siedlce
Kazimierz
(a, vg)
Kalwa, Piotr (o) Tomasz Wilczynski, (a) Piotr Stopniak, (vg) Zakrzewski, Tadeusz (o) Dudziec, Piotr (a) Figielski, Stanislaw (vg) Lorek, Jan (o) Swirski, Ignacy (o) Jankowski, Marian (a)
III. Krakow Metropolitan Krakow
Area
11. Krakow
12.
Czestochowa
13. Katowice
(Arch.)
Krakow
Czestochowa
Katowice
vacat
Baziak, Eugeniusz (cv, i) Rospond, Stanislaw (a, i) Jop, Franciszek (cv) Wozny, Bonifacy (vg) *Huet, Stanislaw (vg) Golinski, Zdzislaw (o) Czajka, Stanislaw (a) Adamski, Stanislaw (o, i) Bednorz, Herbert (a, i) Bieniek, Juliusz (a, i)
RICHARD
F.
315
STARR
DIOCESAN INCUMBENTS, 1956 (continued) Name
of Diocese
Incumbents
Seat
*Piskorz, Jan (cv) *Kowolik, Piotr (vg) *Pruski, Wladyslaw (vg) 14. Kielce
Kielce
Kaczmarek, Sonik,
(o, (a,
i)
cv)
Jaroszewicz, Jan (vg) Stepa, Jan (o) Pekala, Karol (a)
Tarnow
15. Tarnow
Czeslaw
Franciszek
IV. Lwow Metropolitan Lwow
Area
16. Lwow 17. Luck
(Arch.)
18. Przemysl
20.
Baziak, Eugeniusz Baziak, Eugeniusz
Luck
vacat
Barda, Franciszek Tomaka, Wojciech
Przemysl
V. Wilno Metropolitan Area 19.Wilno
Lwow
(Arch.)
Lomza
(m, i) (o) (a, vg)
Wilno
vacat
Wilno
Suszynski, Wladyslaw (a, i) Reinys, Mieczyslaw (a, i) Sawicki, Adam (vg, i) Falkowski, Czeslaw (o) Moscicki, Aleksander (a) Roszkowski, Antoni (vg) Niemira, Karol (o, i) Krzywicki, Michal (a, i)
Bialystok
Pinsk
21. Pinsk
(m, i)
VI. Apostolic Administrations (formerly German Dioceses) Wroclaw 22. Slask Dolny *Lagosz, Kazimierz (cv) *Jablonski, Waclaw (vg) Oliwa 23. Gdansk Splett, Karol (o, i) Cymanowski, Jan (cv) 24. Warmia Zink, Wojciech Olsztyn (cv, i) *Biskupski, Stefan (cv) Gorzow 25. PomorzeZachodnie Szelazek, Zygmunt (cv) *Klosowski, Eugeniusz (vg) 26. Slask Opolski Opole Kobierzycki, Emil (cv) Banach, Emil (vg) NOTES
:
a?Auxiliary
bishop
cv?Capitular *?pro-regime patriot-priest
i?impedito or
c?Cardinal vicar
(in prison
otherwise
vented
from
cising office)
pre exer
m?Metropolitan o?Bishop vg?Vicar
ordinary general
CHURCH OF SILENCE IN COMMUNIST POLAND
316
of patriot-priests, Catholic lay activists and other 1951 a mass meeting were took place at Wroclaw50 who into clergy pressured attending to denounce the remilitarization and German "re of West Germany to attack once again and incidentally the visionist" statements, as in stand of the Catholic Poland allegedly pro-German hierarchy well as of the Vatican. At
the same
time an interview
with the primate51 the expulsion of the apostolic administrators by the communist regime, he was able to persuade the pope during a visit to Rome in the spring of 1951 to appoint Polish bishops in the re covered territories. This would probably have meant the installation of a Pole as bishop also at Gdansk with its (Danzig). Although approximately elicited that, after
renunciation
of the 1925 concordat the communist of government has no legal right to approve the nomination of bishops, in to take an actual fact it does so52 and even requires new appointees to the people's oath of allegiance republic.
Poland
regime seems finally to have accepted the Church's concession. At the end of 1952 Archbishop Wyszynski installed a per personally manent cathedral chapter for the Archdiocese of Wroclaw, composed The
entirely of prelates and canons having Polish nationality.53 Anxiety on the part of the Church, revealed through these concessions, is un new com the result of its for the fear future under the 1952 doubtedly munist constitution. Article 70 of that basic law provides for freedom of conscience and religion, without any safeguards for the Church in the separation of Church and State but pro the future. It announces itself. Furthermore, this article for the Church vides no guarantees declares
that "the abuse
purposes
aiming against
and religion for of freedom of conscience the interests of the people's republic of Poland
is punishable."54
50 51
ludu, December in Tygodnik
Trybuna
in the first
13, 1951 ;mentioned
December powszechny, 52 ludu, November 27, 1952. Trybuna 53 Slowo In addition powszechne, June 3, 1952. Reported
Dioceses there
part
of
article.
this
1951.
16, to the
three
pre-war
German
of Breslau were
administrations
and Allenstein Danzig (Gdansk), (Wroclaw), (Olsztyn), II two other introduced into Poland after World War apostolic to Germany: that had formerly and belonged Oppeln (Opole)
an Landsberg 54 "Ustawa
der Warthe konstytucyjna
rzeczypospolitej ludowej" tion of the Polish People's
(Gorzow). z dnia [Constitutional Republic],
See 22
map.
lipca Law
Dziennik
1952 of
roku, July
ustaw,
22, No.
konstytucja 1952, The 33
(July
polskiej Constitu 23,
1952).
F.
RICHARD
317
STARR
The Catholic Church in consequence probably looks upon the 1950 Church-State its guarantees, imperfect as they may agreement with have been, as something to be returned to at considerable cost if neces its regret that the sary. The official ecclesiastical weekly55 expressed were not in contained the agreement being incorporated provisions into the constitution, the draft of which was then undergoing "public" discussion. A reply from the regime soon appeared in the form of an editorial,56 fiercely attacking the Church, published by the communist party's official daily newspaper. The future of the Catholic Church under the new constitution would thus appear to be quite uncertain. one of the techniques used by the communists As already mentioned, in their attempts to eliminate the influence of religion from the Polish of the Church by maneu the organization society is that of weakening vering into positions of authority persons who will subordinate them selves to the regime. A step in this direction was a decree57 announced in early 1953 which at in effect provides the communist government Warsaw with the "legal" power to fill ecclesiastical posts. According to this decree, all ecclesiastical appointments must be sanctioned by the State
appropriate
In
authorities.
other
words,
trans
nomination,
any
fer, or release of a clergyman requires the consent of the State. Such measures as pertain to the offices of bishops, whether or ordinaries the the of government permission presidium, require suffragans, lower level changes are approved by the presidia of respec whereas Church authorities are no longer able any posts or to alter their functions without All priests must also take an of the government. prior permission oath of loyalty to the State which reads as follows :58 tive provincial people's to change or eliminate
55 56
Tygodnik Trybuna
57 "Dekret
powszechny, ludu, March rady
panstwa
by koscielnych" [Decree ments to Church Positions], ^Monitor this
oath, same man
anti-Church
councils.
March
16, 1952.
22, 1952. z dnia 9
lutego Council
Dziennik
ustaw,
few 13, 1953. A polski, May the Polish submitted hierarchy who had formerly been president) This campaign. Church-State reviews
hensively this Although of twenty-one
protest
was
pages
in
(October 7, 1953).
document relations
never the
1953
State
the
roku
o
obsadzeniu
stanowisk
of February 9, 1953 on Appoint No. 10 (February 10, 1953). days prior to Premier
to
a statement
is dated since
May 8, the April
inside of Poland, published Polish is available language
the
announcement Bierut
Boleslaw
the
protesting 1953,
of (the
and
regime's it compre
14, 1950, agreement. a long reproduction in Biuletyn, No. 40
CHURCH OF SILENCE IN COMMUNIST POLAND
318
I solemnly swear to be loyal to the Polish people's republic and to its government. I promise to do all [in my power] toward the development of people's Poland and toward the strengthening of [Polish] power and security. In accordance
with
as a citizen
duties
my
ecclesiastical
[in my
activities],
I will call on the faithful to respect the laws and State authority, to intensify their
in
work
nation's
the
reconstructing
national
in
and
economy
the
raising
prosperity.
I promise that I shall not take any steps which would conflict with the interests of the Polish people's republic or affect the security and extent of [Poland's] borders. Bearing the welfare and the interests of the State in mind, I shall make every attempt to protect [the State] from all dangers to my
which,
it.
threaten
knowledge,
as well as the rest of the clergy, have, therefore, The hierarchy, is constant. been placed in a situation where the threat of repression to ecclesiastical Since the decree on appointments appears positions to be of prime importance it is quoted verbatim: 1. Ecclesiastical
in the Church may be occupied only by Polish
positions
citizens. 2. The
creation, as well
positions,
prior
requires
approval
the
by
(b) The in cases
only
4. The of
ment;
bishops
in all
transfer
State
organ
people's councils and Lodz).
and
ordinary
other
5. Persons
or
release
their
State
ecclesiastical
sphere
of
cases,
the
(including
organs.
Church post necessitates
prior
organs.
is applicable
to a different
position.
issues
approvals
is,
presidium
of
which
the
suffragans,
territorial
appropriate
of
presidia
in
the
case
the govern provincial
the people's councils for the cities of Warsaw
ecclesiastical
occupying
Church competence,
under point "a" of this paragraph
regulation of
in
appropriate
State
of
elimination
change
of an ecclesiastical
appropriate
appropriate
diocesan
the
by
3. (a) The acceptance approval
or
transformation, as any other
Church
positions
take
an
oath
of
allegiance to the Polish people's republic at the Office of Denominational Affairs or at the presidium of the appropriate people's council (including and
Warsaw
Lodz).
person who holds an ecclesiastical Church post and participates in activity conflicting with law and public order or supports or shields such activity is removed from the position he occupies by his superior Church 6. A
organ
itself
7. The the ministerial
or
upon
the
implementation council.
demand
of
State
of this decree
organs.
is assigned
to the chairman
of
RICHARD
F.
319
STARR
8. This decree becomes binding on the day that it is announced.59 The 1952 constitution had already given rise to the fear that it would weaken the value of the Church-State 1953 agreement. The decree on ecclesiastical the translated above, strengthened positions, basis for this fear. The greatest danger to the Church apparently lies in the prognosis that its affairs will be regulated in detail by means of legislation which strikes at its very has already been established.60 The its policy as regime clearly discloses an Church the into association, ing
A precedent for this the communist of activity
foundations. whole
transform on the functioning toward
being directed existing and
basis of the State's laws. A major move against the hierarchy in Poland on the part of the communists was announced in the form of a government communique which stated that the primate, Stefan Cardinal Wyszynski, who had been secretly arrested on September to 26, 1953, was "forbidden" execute the "functions connected with the ecclesiastical positions he held."61 On the same day that this action was taken, the hierarchy elected Michal Klepacz, Bishop of Lodz, as its chairman. It also requested of the communist be regime that Cardinal Wyszynski to reside at one of the monasteries. The government permitted had hitherto
and also granted the bishops' approved the election of Bishop Klepacz the primate. The increasing wave of communist request concerning pressure upon the Church, following the cardinal's arrest, culminated in the publication of a joint pastoral letter of the hierarchy62 to all the 59 Dziennik
ustaw,
60 to
10
No.
23,
ludu, April that Catholic
Trybuna the effect
(February 10, 1953, included priests
were
cited
1953), reports
appearing
from
previously. the various
before
presidia
provinces of
people's
of loyalty. councils for oaths 61 [Warsaw Zycie Warszawy on the basis of made apparently and specific L'Osservatore cardinal XII
and
charges
were
Romano, discusses
a photograph carries of the 27, 1955, which September In late December, his Pius imprisonment. 1955, Pope an apostolic channels to the Polish letter underground
place.
via
transmitted
He hierarchy. the communist ticular,
urged
9,
Catholics and that
in Poland
denounced the primate
to refrain
the persecution was still being
from of
collaboration
the Church.
detained
full
1954),
an
text 1-2.
of
this
letter
in the Polish
language,
with In
par at an unknown
letter in a special edition of Wolna appeared over Poland from eight-page pamphlet dropped in Munich, the Europe during Germany, spring the courtesy of Dr. through Jerzy Ptakowski.
[Free Europe], Free by Radio
(June
all
regime the pope stated The complete
Information 62 For the
was arrest This 29, 1953. Life], September no open the February, 1953, decree, although the primate. Cf. the article in brought against
cf. Biuletyn,
Europa balloons of No.
1956. 23
CHURCH OF SILENCE IN COMMUNIST POLAND
320
faithful on May
of international 29,1954, which urged the preservation condemned atomic warfare, and supported the concept of volun maintained tary disarmament. Although along the lines of the pope's views on these subjects, the release of the letter at this particular time could be interpreted as a surrender to the Warsaw regime's demands
peace,
behind the spurious peace offen was immediately picked up and
that the hierarchy place its prestige The statement sive of the Kremlin.
by the communist propaganda apparatus throughout Poland.63 used against the bishops, con Besides the tactics of "persuasion" at the tinued pressure was also applied to ecclesiastical authorities level. As a result of the February, diocesan 1953, decree, no bishop
utilized
ordinary is permitted to make any personnel changes unless permitted to do so by the government's This, together with the representatives. in Poland, has resulted of regime's policy arresting leading clergymen in situations like that within the Archdiocese of Gniezno (see chart) where all three of the bishops have been arrested by the communists. In this particular instance, new priests must be ordained by a bishop from an adjoining diocese. Such a state of affairs per se would not seem to be too dangerous were all dioceses in the hands of the legitimate authorities of the Church. Unfortunately this is no longer the case, since the communists have been able to capture completely three of the diocesan administra at a fairly high tions and to penetrate two others with patriot-priests level. In the former category are the Dioceses of Slask Dolny (Lower and Warmia where all top echelon Silesia), Katowice, (East Prussia), are regime appointees.64 The second group administrators includes 63
24
No.
Ibid.,
16,
(June
A
8-9.
1954),
subsequent
letter,
pastoral
issued
in September, 1955, urged the Catholics to remain faithful to the Church in its
struggle 1956. The
this date. ^4 Two
of
of
bishops. Kazimierz neither for
has
calling
Paragraph a bishop"
had
these
men who
Lagosz the diocesan
are holds
consecrated
diocesan
been have
[not
a vicar
general
was synods
L'Osservatore out
smuggled even
been
Jan Piskorz, the corresponding a bishop, Kuznica
synods. 1 of Canon 357 states:
Cited in Biuletyn, No. and
not
collaborators
These Logosz been
communism.
atheistic
against message
"A
both
of Poland
post
February shortly
the powers at Katowice, and Silesia. Although
vicar in Lower
reportedly
had
begun
(Warsaw), April is called and synod
vicar
27, before
to assume
attempting
capitular
kaplanska diocesan
or a capitular
Romano, until
without
a
special
preparation 15, 1955. chaired
by
mandate].
19 (May 11, 1955), 12-13. The maneuver by Piskorz
apparently through
abandoned, the middle
because of
June,
nothing 1956.
had
been
heard
of
RICHARD
F.
321
STARR
areas and Pomorze Zachodnie (Western Pomerania) one pro-communist in each. As the chart indicates, seventeen active dioceses remain free of penetration for the time being. On the other hand, ten dioceses have lost one or more bishops due to arrest or banishment by force. It should likewise be noted that all or large the Krakow
with
of Bialystok, Pinsk, Przemysl, Luck, Lwow, parts of the Dioceses are currently within the de jacto boundaries of the USSR. and Wilno
Ill The struggle against the Catholic Church in Poland has not only taken the form of persecution as such arresting leading members of the of other duly appointed officials, hierarchy, limiting the jurisdiction and the attempt at creating a schism by "brain-washing" the younger But this persecution has clergy through special courses in Marxism. also made
in eliminating instruction from the progress religious schools65 and in completely the All Catholic press. liquidating genuine are a part of a master-plan, of these moves directed by one of the the central apparatus of the communist party,66 to destroy sections,in the prestige of the Church and to transform that body into a govern ment directed group, sensitive to communist orders. The communique issued in September, 1955, by the Warsaw regime to the effect that Cardinal Wyszynski would be released "very soon," was quickly fol lowed by a statement from one of the better known pro-regime Cath olic laymen, Dominik Horodynski, that "he (the Cardinal) will not be considered here any longer as Primate of Poland."67 It is obvious that the communist government of Poland will permit no other organiza tion to compete against it for the allegiance of the population. College
Harding
65 L'Osservatore
Romano, Paul for Mrs.
(pseudonym
Christian Century, LXXIII ?6 Cf.
Richard
F.
Staar,
19, 1955. "Communist
August Super),
also
Attack
Ann on
Sue Polish
Cardwell Church,"
(February 22, 1956), 232-233. "The
Secretariat
of
Party," Journal of Central European Affairs, XV 07 New
Cf.
the United
Polish
Workers'
(October, 1955), 272-285.
to "an authoritative 1955. According 29, released from almost two months source," prison to take up residence at a monastery later and permitted (still incommunicado) in southeastern Poland. Ibid., November 28, 1955. to the alleged from Warsaw communist Cf. also the despatch offer pertaining to reside at Warsaw, to grant the right the cardinal full including liberty, York
Times,
Cardinal
"provided
May
that
19, 1956.
he
September was Wyszynski
does
not
resume
his
functions
as Primate
of Poland."
Ibid.,
