POLAND, WHAT HAPPENED WITH YOU?
Fr. IRENEUSZ SKUBIŚ
On my desk there is a photo of the God’s servant cardinal Stefan Wyszyński. The photo from the last years of the priest primate’s life, presenting his worried face. Because he was also worried about Poland, the Polish Church, about the nation. He was a man who loved his homeland very much and was serving it till the end. The expression of his love to homeland was also his devotion into the care of Our Lady of Częstochowa, the Queen of Poland at Jasna Góra. He was strongly connected with Jasna Góra, he gave his last breath of life in front of the Jasna Góra image of Maryja.
Today everybody who loves this country and this nation is still worried about what is happening in out country. Poland, what happened with you? We still have the 80s in our memory, full of joy and hope. The nation, even though being still under the oppression of the forces of the communist regime, had a sense of strength and dreamt about building new Poland, separating itself from Kremlin and finally living freedom. The remembered Polish Pope John Paul II was still giving us strength. His pilgrimages to homeland were a national manifestation of faith and the desire for freedom. He spoke to us and on behalf of us, emphasizing the importance of God’s commandments, he reminded about history and he canonized the saints. He also gave Poland and the world an example of deep faith, in which love to homeland or care for compatriots do not disturb. He delighted the world and brought pride to us and opened us the door. So now we feel that he is our great patron in Heaven. It pleases that his attitude towards the man and the nation is being continued by his successor – such a warm-hearted and friendly Benedict XVI for Poles.
At the same time we see that there has hung a black cloud over us – these are our sins and unfaithfulness towards God and homeland in the personal and social dimension: manipulation of the truth, lies and dishonesty, a strange sale of national assets and explaining it with the theories of the acute form of capitalism. We see that we are losing Poland, we are losing Polish family, Polish youth, that the wind of atheism is blowing all over the country, especially the wind of liberalism, many people live in such a way as if God did not exist.
For the sake of the truth, it should be said that in this country there is a great prayer, there is Rosary prayer, we generally participate in Jasna Góra appeal evening prayer there are pilgrimages, there is a big number of retreats, recollection days, etc. Comparing with other European countries Poles participate in Holy Masses on Sundays and holidays relatively in a high percent, go to confession. There is also power in the nation which unite, undertaking a fight for the truth. This fight has become stronger recently. We are witnesses of surprising events, strange suicides, generally committed on Saturdays – only on Monday procurators can undertake investigating actions. Unknown offenders, unclear cases of death, dying people important for explanation of many matters. These are significant questions. There are no serious explanations concerning the Smoleńsk crash, there are still new facts appearing which suggest that it was not an accident, that somebody was touching it with his dirty fingers – it is an opinion of a lot of people. And in this all there is apathy of the authority, as if it did not want to or did not know how to reach to the truth in a definite way. This surprising giving the investigation of the biggest crash for Poland and the Polish nation to the hands of our neighboring country, which does not like Poland or Poles, about which we all know… Why did it happen? The arrangement of power in the parliament, obliging voting, weak country, weak institutions, scandals and corruption – this all raises our fright, people are afraid of a twine - as it is said in Poland.
But there is hope and strength for us – only at Jasna Góra, at our Mother and Queen. After the Swedish invasion, the nation was able to gather its strength and get renewed. After the Bolshevik oppression, after the Miracle at Vistula, we also started building our homeland and our splendor. Unfortunately, Satan’spower and totalitarisms from the East and West overwhelmed our country, destroyed morality of many people, destroyed our excellent people of intelligence. Today the spirit of these people should be remembered, these people should be asked to help, we should ask God to change their sufferings and blood shedfor freedom of Poland into our renewal through His grace.
The dying primate of Poland cardinal August Hlond said: ‘When a victory comes, it will come through the Virgin Mary’. Today Poland must return to the great devotions to the Virgin Mary, to the Queen of Poland, to Her who was accepting the Vows of Jan Kazimierz in Lvov, and later the Vows of cardinal Stefan Wyszyński at Jasna Góra. We must renew this country through our faith. We must reject atheistic programs and pogroms, attacking us from various directions, including the governmental spheres which are undertaking or want to undertake their decisions against God and His commandments. May Polish Catholics and Christians open their eyes.
Wake up, Poland! This loud calling, shouting callings and appeal for the nation to undertake the most important decisions, especially the parliamentarian ones concerning elections. Let’s elect our real representatives who love Poland, for whom money is not the most important but Homeland and its fate. We are sad when we see parliamentarians who think and vote according to the way of thinking of their political parties and who seem not to care about the good of Poland and the great national perspective, who do not feel what the care about the future young generations means, thinking that the passport abroad for thousands of educated people is a solution for treating the situation of unemployment. No, Poles want to live in their own country, at Vistula and Oder, they have a right to build their personal happiness and happiness of their families in their homeland. They have a right to maintain their faithfulness to God and homeland. So, may the atheistic trends imposed by hostile masonic forces and liberal trends not be popular either in Poland or have their supporters. It is a shame that fighting atheists are becoming influential only because 50 percent of Polish believers do not attend elections. No attendance at election urns is a hard sin against homeland, its future and against oneself.
Therefore today we must start fighting for waking up the national consciousness and responsibility for our personal and social actions. We must protect Poland from lies and liars. We must fight again for the freedom of speech, so that we would not allow for being drawn into the trends of unrighteousness or slaveries. In Poland real democracy must start existing. We mustn’t get subjected to its alleged character, and consequently, the violence. What a shame that Poles hardly use Catholic mass media, that they do not notice the great work also of our ‘Sunday’, or they do not pay attention to the suggestions which are not political but patriotic, and serve to the future of families, the youth. If we could understand Poland, pay attention to Catholic mass media in pastoral ministry, which are able to help a lot…Unfortunately, the inaction of some priests also leads to a defeat.
I cordially invite our Polish Church, clergy to much work, to a prayer and great love of Our Lady of Jasna Góra, the Queen of Poland.
(AA)
"Niedziela" 46/2012