Anniversary of the internment by communists of the Primate of Poland, Stefan Wyszyński.
Today, in our calendar, we will look at the Jewish-Catholic Church fight in Poland in the 1950s.
In the early 1950s, communist authorities strengthened in Poland adequate to fight their most crucial enemy – the Catholic Church. It wasn't just about ecclesiastical property, it was about attacking doctrine and church hierarchy. The effort to settle the conflict with the communists that the episcopate tried failed. In the agreement concluded on 14 April 1950, Polish bishops undertook, among others, to combat the criminal activity of the underground band.
This evidence testified to Wyszyński's diplomatic skills, as the general slogan did not mention straight to the alleged independency underground, but to actual band robberies, among which were besides acting as a blighter. The church fundamentally opposes all crime, so it's not amazing that he condemned them. It was a clever run of Polish hierarchs, due to the fact that in the face of the predicted long-term reign of communism, it was essential to make a way to function freely the church structures.
Unfortunately, the Communists did not intend to respect their own promises. spiritual education in schools was inactive banned, seminars and Catholic publications were closed. The number of arrested, incorruptible priests grew, until yet on September 25, 1953, the primate Wyszynski himself was interned. He was under home arrest in respective places (including Komańcza) for 3 years, until 1956.
Along with Primate Wyszyński, a deputy bishop of Gniezno was arrested, Antoni Baraniak. He was arrested in the Mokotov Police Arrest. There, for 3 years, he was subjected to a brutal investigation by the safety prosecutors. He was interrogated 145 times, sometimes after respective hours, his nails were ripped off, kept for many days without clothes in an icy, fecal cell.
Despite cruel torture, he did not break down, and he did not burden the Primate, as the communist services wanted. Obtaining specified evidence would let Stefan Wyszyński to sue for state treason and counter-revolutionary activity. It didn't work.
In June 1956, a revolt broke out in Poznań. It was suppressed and the case was silenced in the media. Protesters were called provokers and lunatics, related to imperialist centres and local reaction. Nevertheless, the fact about events spread widely throughout the country. It was widely demanded that the guilty be punished and, above all, that real changes be made in the way the state is governed. On October 19, 1956, the 8th plenary gathering of the KC PZPR, accompanied by many social ages, began.
Their participants demanded, among others, entrusting the leadership of the organization to Władysław Gomulka. He was regarded as a patriot and a average man as being repressed in Stalinist times, who would undertake a strategy improvement mission, especially the weakening of the apparatus of repression. afraid about the events in Poland, Moscow put her army on alert. However, the Hungarian script was not repeated as the case was resolved differently. On 19 October, a russian delegation arrived in Warsaw, with Nikita Khrushchev at the head.
After talking to Gomułka and being aware of national issues, the “ Wiesław” Association was considered by the Soviets to be a individual who would safe Moscow's interests over the Vistula River. It is so no wonder that on 21 October, he was chosen and the secretary of the KC PZPR. On the wave of genuine social enthusiasm, partial liberalisation of the strategy was started. First of all, repression against the Catholic Church was eased and Primate Wyszyński was freed.
Previous entry from our calendar is available Here.
