Anniversary of the beginning of the propaganda process of Bishop Czesław Kaczmark.
Today, in our calendar, we will look at the issue of clenching the loop around the neck of the Polish Catholic Church.
On 14 September 1953, a trial against Bishop Czesław Kaczmark and his 4 colleagues began before the Military territory Court in Warsaw. The defendants were accused of acting against the russian Union, diversion, espionage, contacts with the underground, and the average of the Diocese of Kielce besides cooperated with Germany during the war.
Indirectly, the authorities besides hit ecclesiastical authorities: Cardinal Adam Stefan Sapieha, Cardinal August Hlond and Primate Stefan Wyszyński, suggesting that as superiors of the accused they allowed the defendants, against People's Poland.
Already on 22 September 1953, the Military territory Court in Warsaw declared a sentence, condemning Bishop Czesław Kaczmark, the average of the Diocese of Kielce, to 12 years in prison. The treasurer of the curia, Fr Jan Danilewicz, was sentenced to 10 years, Fr Józef Dąbrowski (a bishop's chapel) for 9 years, the prosecutor of the seminary of the clergy in Kielce, Fr Władysław Widlak for 6 years, and St.
This was the first and last trial of the bishop in “people” Poland. Conducted in show mode, it became an excuse for a powerful propaganda attack on the Church. From the point of view of power, for its effectiveness, it was vital that Catholics join the run alongside government journalists and “authorities”. This task was carried out by pro-regime activists PAX Association.
Jan Dobraczyński and Mieczysław Kurzyna in “Wszystko Tygodnik”, taken over by PAX from the rightful editorial office, wrote:
The trial of Bishop Kaczmark is 1 of the elements of a large global case, characterized by the fact that the fighting for the regulation of the United States tries to usage all factors for their purposes, especially the authority of the Catholic Church and the spiritual beliefs of Catholics [...] The way of Bishop Kaczmark, who weakened the unity of the nation and served those who, erstwhile rebuilding the Wehrmacht, pointed to it the way to the East, and so to Poland in the first place.
A communist who claims to be a hero and moral authority in the 3rd Poland, Tadeusz Mazowiecki described the trial in the “Wrocław Catholic Week”: The folk homeland has restored the dignity of millions of simple people, in the vast majority of believers, crossing social relations erstwhile and for all [...] and builds in highly hard conditions post-war life the basis of a better existence.
Regarding the trial, he explained: Fr. Kaczmark and the co-defendant views leading to the recognition of religion with a backward social attitude and the good of the Church with the durability and interest of the capitalist strategy led to this harmful activity.
Finally, Mazowiecki added: The trial of Bishop Kaczmarka has besides proved by sight, and not for the first time, how far American imperialism, wishing with the aid of a fresh war, i.e. the death of millions of people, imposed the regulation of its strategy of exploitation and social harm on countries that have chosen a fresh way of history, tries to influence the clergy and believers in various ways and direct them to the way of fighting their own homeland, which is the common good of all citizens.
Bishop Kaczmarek was arrested as early as January 1951. He was in custody of the Ministry of Public safety for nearly 3 years. Under varying pressure, the priest yet capitulated and confessed to the actions he was accused of.
It can be assumed that the arrest of Bishop Kaczmark started a decisive anti-ecclesiastical offensive, and his trial fell upon her apogee. The communists had already hit the church's individual facilities, eliminating lower spiritual seminars and spiritual novitiates. They besides tried to influence his individual policy.
In 1951, they removed from the lands obtained at the expense of the 3rd Reich of Apostolic Administrators, in whose place - under the force of the authorities - the susceptible to the government of Vicars of the capitulates were elected. They then exiled the bishops of Katowice, replacing them with priests cooperating with communists. Finally, at the turn of 1951 and 1952, they besides removed Kraków bishops. In January of the following year, they conducted a loud propaganda proceeding called the "Cracovian Curia Process".
The decisive decision was to introduce a decree on the cast of church posts a period later. Within this framework, the regime's authorities granted themselves the right to interfere in the appointment of clergymen for administrative functions within the Church. It states, among another things, that “the taking up of a spiritual ecclesiastical position requires the prior approval of the competent state authorities.” It was besides envisaged that priests should submit "marriage to the fidelity of the Polish People's Republic".
Violent opposition to the Episcopate, expressed in the loud memorial “Non possumus” and the decisive attitude of the primate cardinal. Stefan Wyszynski was a symbol of the integrity of the Church. Another hit of the communists was the trial of Bishop Kaczmark, and just after it interned the cardinals. Wyszynski.
Previous entry from our calendar is available Here.
