On June 28, 1999, 10 years after the circular Table and the elections, which are officially believed to have been the beginning of the systemic transformation in our country, a group in most young Catholic activists, immediately after graduation established the Society of Christian Culture named after Father Peter Skarga (SKCh). On the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the organisation, the question can be asked how far has it achieved its objectives?
Beginnings
The fresh generation of Polish Conservatives promoted the ideals of Christian civilization from the very beginning. They had no uncertainty that, in the face of very fast adverse changes in civilization, a decisive fight should be taken to defend the morals and Catholic values in public life – to form the foundation of the 3rd Republic.
Referring to the thought of Plinia Corraa de Oliveira, Polish conservatives of the older date and the “doctors of the Controvolution”, and above all inspired by the achievements of the courageous minister, Father Piotr Skarga, whose activity coincided with the time of Poland's greatness and power in the 16th century, a group of young people undertook a mission to awaken the consciences of the Polish people. In order to corrupt the moral and political customs of Catholics – as the erstwhile celebrated Jesuit predicted, reproving the nobility and the "cold clergy" – did not contribute to the fall of the Republic and the large suffering of the full nation.
Following the example of Fr Piotr Skarga – the man of the act who founded the Brotherhood of Mercy, the Pious Bank, the Box of Saint Nicholas, and above all he was remembered as an uncompromising critic of social-political life, which made him many enemies – took courageous actions in defence of public morality. This was due to the hostile actions of state authorities, global institutions, and sometimes church circles.
As erstwhile the court preacher of King Sigismund III, who had the marks and causes of the “belief of the spirit,” and consequently the imminent fall of the country, saw at that time establishment: “Herethic or Slachety,” noticing the early gathering of clouds on the horizon, he disciplined those liable for the destiny of the Church and the State, causing them to rage—so the Association acted against the various wickednesss occurring both in the Church and in the State.
An uncompromising critic of the “unhospitable kingdom,” trying to awaken the consciences of the time, has repeatedly encountered the reluctance of influential people in the state. He didn't resent it. Despite many threats, and even the individual threat of life, he reiterated that he could not spare the silence of a wicked life and relativize sins that would have consequences for the full nation.
The Jesuit authorities demanded from Fr Peter Skarga that "especially a bit of attention" to "the things above"—the Seym sermons—not separately, but included in the dense collection of "The sermons for Sundays and holidays of the full year" (1597). They were to “do not stab in the eyes of the rulers.”
A clergyman celebrated for his cut repost, who warned against the bliss of temporary material stableness and peace, accompanied by disregard for God, spared no bitter words for clergymen. Through this he frequently met with reminders from the Kraków Chapter, which warned him about the canonical consequences of the “too fierce” criticism of the spiritual state.
The large preacher was made worse by those who did not want to exposure themselves to the large world, who were not a model for the faithful, who were not ready for “scrupulousness, relent, and persecution” of Catholic masters and innoisseurs.
The Jesuit saw that the clergy became cold in the faith, which was many in Poland at the time, became a stumbling block for the faithful, effectively drawing them distant from the sacred religion of the Church than the heretics and their propaganda. Similarly, the fall of the Republic – observed the priest Complaint – will happen as a consequence of the corruption of the customs of the faithful The Catholic Church, serving the Lord God only with words, "and with the hands of heretics, who detest themselves from their evil things: covetousness, usury, uncleanness, drunkenness.
With this in mind, from the very beginning of the Association's activities, a group of young people actively joined the public debate. In order to cultivate the Christian values and traditions of the Polish nation, to advance and defend the cultural heritage of Christian civilization, and to defend moral principles in social and cultural life.
SKCh never asked for approval to the Metropolitan Curia in Krakow, so as not to associate institutionally with ecclesiastical authority, as its members realized that sooner or later they would address alleged controversial matters as abortion or legalization of homosexual unions. They wanted to prevent possible opponents from exerting force on the church authorities to pacify their initiatives. As a private association of the faithful, who, following the teachings of the Church, undertake public initiatives on their own work – after all, the Church is not a prison of consciences in which the central authority must be asked to consent to attest to the truth. Thanks to the unappreciated support of the prayerful and material Donors during the 4th of a century, the organization took on hundreds of activities, constantly developing its activities, creating fresh institutions, inspiring and mobilising various environments in the country and abroad.
SKCh has never benefited from any support from the state or organization Church. On the contrary, although its main activity is focused on defending the value and shaping of certain attitudes or defending persecuted Christians, it has either been straight active either through the appointed institutions in the material aid of the floods, the Church in Africa, Belarus or Italy, financing, for example, late the reconstruction of St Benedict's Church in Nursia after a severe earthquake in 2016.
From the very beginning, the Association has been the publisher of the largest free magazine in Poland – “The Covenant with Mary”, whose circulation was over 430 1000 copies, and the first issue was published in late October and November 2001. The two-month anniversary promotes a peculiar Marian service, the Rosary. The newsletter, initially counting 28 pages, aimed at strengthening the religiousness of Polish families and contributing to better formation of children, increased the volume over time. Jubilee, the 50th number has already counted 52 pages.
The Lepanto Section of Knights was active in the Association, which influenced the formation of many young people, presently performing various professions and performing various public functions in our country.
SKCh began with vigor, despite initially highly modest conditions. It initiated protests, then Marches for Life and Family, issuing statements, declarations and petitioning.
Selected actions
In 2000, members of the organization organized protests before the cinemas against the screening of the movie "Dogma", and in the next, before the parliamentary election, collected signatures under petitions to political parties so that they would not include abortion supporters on their lists.
In January 2001, SKCh launched a successful run "The Fatima Message of Hope for Poland", distributing millions of copies of Antoni Borelli's book "Fatima – a message of tragedy or hope?".
The association promoted many book publications, sent pictures, devociation, magazines, calendars, prayer books, recalling forgotten spiritual practices. In time, it besides established its net media. Thanks to Donors' contributions, she created movie studios in Kraków and Warsaw. It has produced and implemented movie productions. It has established a number of organizations in the country and abroad. She became active in public debate on key issues for the nation. In 2002, SKCh stood up for Radio Maryja as an independent medium, arrogantly attacked by TVP.
From the very beginning, either straight or through their institutions, the environment was active in the fight against ideology. genderby opposing the legalization of partnerships and the promotion of homosexuality.
As part of the protest “Say NO to legalization of homosexual unions”, in 2004 distributed 280 1000 leaflets in Krakow and 730 1000 in Warsaw. It launched protest actions against homo-propaganda “Gazeta in Kraków”.
In 2003, as part of the run Right to Birth, a book entitled “50 Questions and Answers about Abortion” went to 30 1000 Polish homes. In the same year, the Association protested Poland's accession to the EU (March “So for Poland, so for Europe, not for the European Union”). The publication of the survey entitled “Accession to the European Union: a lifeguard or a kiss of death for Christian Poland?” was besides launched. The brochure was published as a announcement to be paid in the diary of Rzeczpospolita. The authors asked whether "integration with the EU would contribute to the fulfilment, or would it harm the mission which God entrusted Poland erstwhile he pulled it out of the darkness of paganism and marked it with the water of Holy Baptism?".
2004 – The Association held a successful protest campaign: "Brown of matrimony and Family". In February alone, over 87 1000 letters with protests against the legalization of homosexual unions were received to the talker of the Sejm of Vladimir Cimoszewicz. The law firm of the Sejm informed about the run on its website. This was a evidence in Parliament's past of the amount of correspondence sent in 1 month. Letters-protests signed individually and collectively, frequently throughout groups, including parishes, read: “Marriage as a woman's relation with a man, due to its unique social function for a 1000 years of Polish past enjoyed privileges and protection of the law. However, present aggressive groups, making homosexuality ideology, are striving for a legal degradation of matrimony and family."
It was the first action that echoed widely in society and resulted in a violent reaction from politicians. They put force on the Polish Post Office to refuse the Society to distribute leaflets. Minister Isabella Jaruga-Nowacka, as well as the Ministry of Infrastructure and the run Against Homophobia, intervened personally at the time.
The post office refused to further distribute leaflets. However, the Sejm besides resigned from further pushing the bill, adopted by the Senate. The action at SKCh met with a lively reaction, among others in the Polish Parliament.
In 2004, the Association sent a package (list plus information booklets) to the civilian Offices in Poland, encouraging managers of these institutions to boycott the planned legalization of homosexual unions. It was answered by 407 courageous workers from 389 offices. Everyone addressed the talker of the Sejm with their strong protest against the legalization of homosexual unions to be recorded in the USC. "I express my firm opposition to the Senate's motion for a bill on registered partnerships legalising homosexual unions, and I believe that a possible commitment to it is contrary to my conscience and convictions, and violates the seriousness of the civilian State Office, of which I am a representative," they stated in the protest of the management. Information about this authoritative objection has echoed widely across the country's media. They provoked outrage and rage on the side of the gay lobby and the full left, while raising hopes on the Catholic side.
In 2005, SKCh opposed the usage of the city's LGBT coat of arms for the promotion of homosexuality in Krakow. These groups led the action “Kraków and Nuremberg together for tolerance”. More than a 1000 posters of "Stop Homosecual Depravation" appeared on the streets in December. A pseudo-educational workshop on AIDS in the master's degree, held on 29 November 2004, was the impetus to organise this action. Activists of homosexual organizations distributed material promoting deviant homosexual practices among students of Kraków schools invited to the meeting.
The association, following the example of its patron, actively joined the public debate, launching the 2005 election run in September 2005. She requested candidates to respond to a survey on their relation to abortion, euthanasia, homosexuality, marriage, pornography, etc.
In 2006, SKCh sent to schools a brochure entitled "The Transmittent Problems of Homosexuality", informing against attempts to advance sodomy. In the same year, together with 4 another organizations, he co-organised the action under the name “About the dignity of women – halt pornography”. This action aimed at introducing a complete, statutory ban on production and dissemination of specified content. As part of this campaign, nearly 150 1000 demands with specified a request came from all over the country to the talker of the Sejm of Marek Jurek.
In December 2006, the Council adopted Decision 2006/742/CFSP. The association encouraged its sympathizers and all people of good will to participate in an anti-abortion action, in which e-mails were sent to the Marshal of the Sejm calling for the introduction of a provision to the Constitution of the Republic guaranteeing the right to life from conception to natural death. The organizers pointed to the threats of human life by abortion, genetic manipulation and euthanasia. The Marshal sent the organizers a letter in which he thanked for his unequivocal support for introducing a life-saving evidence into the Constitution of Poland.
In 2006, SKCh organized a protest action against the screening of an anti-Catholic movie entitled "Kod da Vinci" in Polish cinemas. In this painting, as in his book foreword entitled “The Code of Leonardo da Vinci”, anti-Catholic, gnostic and occult ideas mix with primitive lies, which authors attribute historical value. The association launched a peculiar website against this movie www.protestuj.pl, which over 75,000 net users visited in 2 weeks.
Also in 2006, as part of a protest run against the march of homosexuals on the streets of Krakow, SKCh again spread more than 1,000 posters with the slogan "STOP to advance homosexuality!". The posters called for a halt to the pushy promotion of the sin of sodomy under Wawel through a civic protest action directed to the City President. “Do you want Sodom’s sin to become a showcase of the royal city of Krakow? Do you want the inhabitants of Krakow to be exposed to the abusive manifestation of homosexuality? The Public Assembly Act allows the anticipation of banning demonstrations due to the threat to public morality. You have the right to request from the president of Krakow not to let the promotion of homosexuality on the streets of our city!” – the poster sounded.
In early April of the same year, more than 20,000 inhabitants of the Malopolska Association besides sent letters encouraging the sending of protest cards to the city's president. As a result, thousands of letters from people demanding action to prevent the promotion of deviant behaviour were received through the post office.
In the face of always more frequent and louder actions by organizations promoting homosexuality, the Christian Culture Association. Fr Piotr Skarga decided to send to the hands of the heads of advanced schools and advanced schools in Poland a brochure entitled "The Transmittent Problems of Homosexuality" on behaviours related to the same sex and health, intellectual and social effects of the alleged rainbow lifestyle. The aim of the action was to sensitize influential local people in their environments, to whom they were and in the future could be directed pro-deviative campaigns. The run included 20,000 schools!
The association besides organized the first Conservative Congresses, audiovisual shows, many lectures to which lecturers from Poland and abroad were invited, as well as the Crusade to reward the Immaculate Heart of Mary for the sins of the Polish nation, pickets, protests against blasphemous and obscene arts or exhibitions. It launched the page piotrskarga.pl and created in 2008 a letter "Polonia Christiana", and later, in 2012 besides the portal PCh24.pl.
In 2007, SKCh carried out the action: "Beware! Charter of Fundamental Rights". "Despite the rejection of the EU Constitution by the French and Dutch, it is one more time being tried to impose on the peoples of Europe, this time trying to circumvent the referendum. There should be no illusions that Poland's adoption of the improvement Treaty will in no way contribute to its dechristianisation. On the contrary, we believe that this process will be accelerated" was the position of the Association on the Reforming Constitutional Treaty and its most crucial part, the Charter of Fundamental Rights.
At that time, the SKCh opposed attempts to impose on Poland and another European countries the papers mentioned here, excluding the public vote in the form of public debate and referendum. In connection with the ongoing negotiations on the alleged Euro-Constitution, the position of the Association entitled “European Constitutional Treaty. Another step towards the dechristianization of Catholics in Europe", published in a peculiar brochure, came to the hands of the rulers in our country and the hierarchy of the Church.
The authors observed that the adoption of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, which paved the way, among others, for abortion, euthanasia, homosexual unions, eugenic practices and kid revolt against parents, was a serious problem for Catholics in Poland and throughout Europe. "The European Constitutional Treaty, in this form, rejects Europe's Christian heritage and can open the door to persecution of Christians", the members of the Association observed.
In 2007, although the Polish Sejm did not introduce a provision in the Constitution guaranteeing the right to life from conception to natural death, The association continued the action "Solidarni with the unborn". In consequence to the run addressed to the Marshal of the Sejm, more than 500 000 appeals were received to introduce this provision into the Basic Act. In addition, as part of this action, many Polish houses were besides visited by the booklet “Rosian in the defence of life” with the reflections of the Holy Father John Paul II from the encyclical Evangelium Vitae, as well as the book “50 Questions and Answers on Abortion”.
Fr Piotr Skarga's Christian Culture Association continued in the following years poster actions under the slogan: "Stop promoting homosexuality in Krakow" in connection with the planned homosexual marches. akin campaigns were organised in Warsaw and Poznań. The Catholic community simultaneously documented scandalous events that took place during erstwhile parades, e.g. desecration of the Unknown Soldier's tomb in Krakow. The members of the SKCh stressed that evil must be branded, not pretended nothing was happening, due to the fact that passive attitude gives homosexual activists a strong argument of alleged social consent to the implementation of plans to destruct the family. This leads to the spread of vulgar parades, the legalization of “homo-marriage”, their adoption of children, permissive sex education in schools, yet persecution and prosecution of opponents of homosexual ideology.
In 2009, in a letter to the Ministry of National Education, the Association expressed concern about the action announced by the run Against Homophobia carried out on the premises peculiar training for teachers about homosexuality. “If the school is to be free from any ideology, why can homosexual ideology be promoted in the walls of the school? What should students, their parents and teachers think of homosexuality as a deviating thing incompatible with their belief in the worldview and spiritual beliefs?"
The association successfully protested against the version of the fresh media law passed by the Polish Sejm in May 2009, which omitted the evidence of respecting the Christian strategy of values and strengthening the family, and alternatively was prohibited from discrimination on grounds of alleged sexual orientation. In the final version adopted by the Sejm a period later, a provision requiring the media to respect Christian values was restored. The passage distinguishing "sexual orientation" as being protected by the law is besides omitted.
In 2009, again posters appeared on the streets of Krakow on the initiative of the SKCh, informing about the march of homosexual activists scheduled for 16 May. The association initiated an action to send protest letters to city authorities.
In 2010, the United Nations safety Council (UNSC) issued a resolution on 23 March 2010. Association of them. Fr Piotr Skarga appealed to the local authorities to object to the amendment of the law on the prevention of force in the family, which profoundly interfered with its autonomy, adopted by the Polish Sejm. It provided, among others, an chance to separate children from parents before the court ruling. – W We asked local authorities to sign the attached appeal and send it to our address. We, on the another hand, committed to placing it in due time on the hands of Marshal Schetyna – said Piotr Kucharski. 135 mayors, 50 mayors and presidents of Przemyśl, Kielce, Głogowa, Bydgoszcz, Stalowa Wola, Rybnik and Świdnica responded to the appeal. On November 18, protests were held in the office of the Chancellery of the Sejm.
Opposing the European homosexual parade planned for 17 July 2010 in Warsaw (so-called: Europride 2010), SKCh sent 650 1000 flyers to the residents of the capital: "Not for the promotion of homosexuality in Warsaw". They encouraged Warsawians to send a protest to local authorities with a categorical request to ban homosexual provocation. The answer was so large that the City Council called a peculiar cell to receive correspondence, but the parades were not cancelled. Europride it was a very crucial component of the global sex offensive planned for 2010.
In 2011, in view of the announcements of the technological Publishing home of PWN S.A. that changes will be made in the encyclopedia definitions of the slogans “homosexuality” and “bisexuality”, Association of them. Fr Piotr Skargi initiated an action to send to the PWN Management Board of protests in defence of the technological integrity of these publications. The decision of the publishing home was caused by force from the gay lobby to remove the evidence that both homosexuality and bisexuality are “sexual recognition disorders”.
In 2011 the Polish Sejm received a civic bill protecting the lives of all unborn children, besides sentenced to death just due to the fact that they are severely ill. Thanks to the mobilisation of Catholics, the bill went to the Sejm committee.
In 2011, the Council adopted Decision 2011/742/CFSP. The Association – after the Polish Parliament rejected 4 February 2011 a draft amendment aimed at securing Polish law against attempts to impose from outside the legalization of homosexual unions – made an appeal open to senators. The aim was to reconstruct to the draft law the Private global Law of that amendment. An appeal entitled “In the face of the danger of legalization of homosexual unions in Poland” was published, among others, in “The Public Service”.
The Association's initiative was supported by many people from all over Poland. Thousands of appeals have been sent to individual senators' addresses. Unfortunately, most politicians ignored the vote of citizens and, ultimately, the amendment was not reinstated.
In 2012, the Council adopted Decision (CFSP) 2015/849. The association stood in defence of tv Trwam, discriminated against by KRRiT, which did not grant the site of the tv Trwam on the alleged multiplex, enabling the reception of tv in digital technology.
In 2013, in consequence to the actions of Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who wanted to force parliamentarians to legalize “partner unions”, a group of Catholics supported by the Association. Fr Piotr Skarga asked Poles to send a protest on this issue. More than a million letters of objection were sent to the residents of Warsaw and the hometown of Prime Minister Tusk – Gdańsk. You could besides express your disapproval for the legalization of homosexual unions in electronic form via www.protestuj.pl. The address of the Prime Minister was received by more than 80 1000 email letters and their undetermined number sent by conventional means.
Wide awareness activities
In the materials published by SKCh, it has always been sought to sensitize Readers to a number of threats to Christian civilization and the Polish people, presenting a wide context of revolutionary actions and touching many areas of life, from religion to abroad policy, to the economy. After all, as he pointed out in his essay on Catholicism, liberalism and socialism published in Barcelona in 1851, he was a liberal and later converted to Catholicism father of the Contrrevolution of Donoso Cortés, “there is always an crucial theological issue in all crucial political issue.” This is even confirmed by Pierre-Joseph Proudhon's “father of Anarchism” erstwhile he wrote, “It is amazing how we encounter theology in all political matters.” Cortés reminds us that there is no reason to be surprised, due to the fact that theology is the teaching of God, “an ocean that contains and covers all things.”
Fighting an ideology gender, abortion, attack on tradition, family, property – basic human freedoms, Christian Culture Association them. Fr Peter Skarga could not point to all the currents and movements which were installed in the Catholic Church to destruct it from the inside, discredit it, and lead to the removal of people from religion in God the 1 in the Real Trinity.
Hence, many publications and lectures on the painful crisis in the Church, actions of opposition to the scandalous changes imposed by certain groups of nominal Catholics – specified as during the frequently held synods in fresh years – billboard actions, e.g. against divorces or giving Holy Communion on hand, or the latest action Pro Ecclesia Universaliwhich aims to defend the unity of the Catholic Church. The main component of this fresh initiative is the dissemination of a brochure on the function of bishops in the Church. The publication is entitled “The work of bishops for the universal Church in times of confusion”. She was prepared in respective languages and sent to all hierarchs around the world, as well as to any priests.
Agnieszka Stelmach