ATTACKS ON THE PILGRIMAGE OF MARYJA RADIO FAMILY
Fr. IRENEUSZ SKUBIŚ
On a sunny day, 8 July this year, thousands of people were praying in Jasna Góra during the annual pilgrimage of Maryja Radio Family. They were expressing their joy that they could be at the Mother’s home, which gathers everybody and serves to the Polish community not only at the Vistula and Odra but all over the world. It is seen that Jasna Góra is in the hearts of so many excellent pilgrims who came to the sanctuary either personally or they were present here spiritually, especially that the transmission of the pilgrimage was possible to watch on the Television ‘Trwam’ and listen to on the Radio Maryja. A wonderfully prepared liturgy, sermons – first on Sunday 6 July this year by bishop Stanisław Stefanek and on Sunday - by bishop Kazimierz Ryczan – connected with the situation of the Church and priests, and first of all, the face of Mother – all cheered up and gave hope.
An important point of the pilgrimage was a solemn acceptance of Father Rydzyk to the Brotherhood of the Pauline Order, which raised a great applause of the whole community of pilgrims, as everybody knew that it was an appropriate expression of respect towards the Founder of the Radio Maryja and the Television ‘Trwam’.
And what happens after the pilgrimage? Well, some observers of the life of the Catholic Church in Poland are not able to keep silent. There is, among them prof. Magdalena Środa, who mocks at Jasna Góra, calling it a bare hill on which there are meetings of the ‘Sabbath of anti-democrats’. She allows herself for unusually rude statements. In her opinion ‘bishops were unanimously expressing their loud opinion in support for the multiplex. Not for salvation, not for the love of our neighbour or giving the other cheek, not for peace, general friendliness or sins forgiveness but for the platform (but by no means the civic one), on which Fr. Rydzyk will not be able to develop his ‘teachings’, develop his authority or fight for his own beatification’. It is hard to find a more audacious and shameless text. It is hard to believe that somebody who has a professor degree can express her opinion in this way. It is aimed against the generally perceived code of behaviour.
Well, dear professor, the Church knows its place in the society, knows what to teach, especially when sermons are preached by bishops, and each of them has at least the doctor’s degree. These cannot have been the words of hatred. Professor, you should look up the definition of the word ‘hatred’ as well as the phrases ‘God’s teaching’, ‘the teaching of Gospel’. The Church, especially priests-bishops know what they say: we must proclaim both love and the truth. The truth should be expressed in love – and it was so in Jasna Góra.
Certainly, for those who – as it seems – cannot sustain from their emotions and hate – it would be a kind of exaggeration that to the invitation of Father Rydzyk many thousands people came to Jasna Góra , and big crowds were with them while listening to radio and television stations. They cannot stand it, and therefore they mock at and deride, instead of thinking why it happens so.
We, believers, expect from media factual and true reports, even the critical ones, but it should happen within the norms of our linguistic good manners. Nobody should misinterpret the meanings of the words of bishops, should not impute that in the place like Jasna Góra Polish bishops do not fulfil their mission. The mission of proclaiming the Gospel of Christ has always been, is and will be present in the teaching of Father Tadeusz Rydzyk, Radio Maryja and the Television ‘Trwam’. But revealing the truth is an inconvenient matter for some people; as well as the truths about non-existence of the Television ‘Trwam’ on the digital multiplex, which is not accidental – it is a fear against the fact that more people will hear this truth. Whereas, as the citizens of this country, we have a right for a chosen television or radio programme. After all, real democracy is based on it, and which is called a rightness in the social life. And in fact it is not important here who has authority or who has suitable technical devices. They should be utilised in a just and democratic way and should serve to all citizens. And the country should be friendly to everybody.
And here Radio Maryja, the Television ‘Trwam’ and honest Poles are claiming their rights, among whom not only ordinary, less educated people but also university professors, people of high good manners and patriots. Through the Television ‘Trwam’, Catholic newspapers, including the pages of the Catholic weekly ‘Sunday’, they want to say the truth about the situation in Poland, about what our economy looks like, what future is going to be for Poles; because they want, especially the young generation grow up in the truth and be formed in a suitable way, so that people who do not think reasonably and want to proclaim an non-natural order, not compatible with biology, human nature, would not manipulate human way of thinking or would not rule over the minds of young Poles. And it is a purpose of all Catholic mass media, the Church and bishops, claiming for the rights of citizens, including the rights of believers who pay taxes, have the right for justice and being treated honestly.
And this is a way on which we are not going to stop. Therefore the pilgrimage of the Radio Maryja is a great event for a lot of Poles in Poland and in the world. Transmission of annual pilgrimages reach far and are very important for building the national consciousness, so that various dishonest intellectual people - and there are a lot of them, especially in the journalistic environment – would not tell lies about the reality and would not uterus in human minds. Therefore he attacks this pilgrimage so fiercely; whereas we know what bishops said and we do not need any explanation.
We must be attentive, alert because satan is going crazy and is fighting even against the Pope. He would like to destroy the order of the Gospel – the order which was set by God.
We must stand firmly and faithfully on the guard of this order which comes from the Creator of the world. It is a very important recommendation which is today proclaimed to us by the Church – the Church which is full of mission, so it must act according to the Gospel and it cannot regress. Therefore this Church are also martyrs for the faith who give their life for it every day.
In the name of the Holy Church we must stand at Christ under the cloak of Maryja, in Poland – the Queen of Poland in Jasna Góra and ask her to help open the eyes to those, who fell into a trap of satan. Let’s remember about the words of Christ: ‘The truth will free you’. The truth in love because it was all about in the pilgrimage of the Radio Maryja to Jasna Góra.
(AA)
"Niedziela" 30/2012