WHEN WE ARE REVILED…
Fr. IRENEUSZ SKUBIŚ
You are blessed when you are reviled and persecuted and when they tell lies about you because of me’ (Mt 5.11). Lord Jesus says about the persecution of those who are His believers, at the time when the foundations of the Church are appearing. And here centuries are passing and we are still witnesses of the fact that the Church and Christ’s believers are being persecuted, that there are even long periods of a ruthless fight with the Church. In fact, it has never been so, that the Church was prospering very well. Indeed, people holding the authority often needed the Church, relied on its support, recognized its social significance and then, for some time, the Church was respected. However, a stick to hit was usually found quickly. In the XX century, especially Nazism and communism wanted to destroy the Church. During one of his pilgrimages to Poland, John Paul II beatified 108 Polish martyrs from the time of the Second World War, which is only a drop in the sea, if we consider thousands of priests and laymen, who were persecuted and murdered because of faith. The anti-Christian history of the XX century is being continued, atheists – also those in our homeland – hid their party cards and today, as a new establishment do not stop their wicked actions. We do not deny that people of that system, who worked in the famed IV Department of the Inner Ministry – for clergy, are doing their duties today, surely ‘on different papers’, but they are doing it in a cunning way and with knowledge of the problem, with the usage of modern media.
Today the Church seems to be helpless towards the mass attack which is being done in the public and private television stations, in press, even having a satan attitude towards it – some people even say that it is the devil which was let off the leash. We do not know what will be next, but we know one thing: that the Church is being persecuted all over the world today in various ways. Hierarchs are being destroyed, as well as ordinary priests and engaged lay Catholics.
It is obvious that the sin and weakness can be everywhere, and the Church consists of people, after all, not angels. As an institution which particularly understands the good and the evil, is fighting with the sin, trying not to destroy anybody. But it seems that we do not have any chance in media – our opponents are supported by whole groups working for their image, logistic preparation, legal supplies, etc., they have broad and modern possibilities of sharing their opinions. There is hope in our testimony of faith, which we give through our life and a word. However, it is sad that such people as Roman Polański and others whose crimes towards children were proved, still remain moral authorities for others and people easily believe in tales referring to a priest, and start building a hearth. And the hearth built by media are bigger today than those on which people of different ways of thinking used to be burnt in the past.
We must know that we have a possibility to defend ourselves, look for normality and justice. This possibility are, among the others, elections for the parliament. An electoral paper in a Catholic’s hand is something important, and in the case of failing to go to a ballot box or vote for a declared atheist is connected with a hard sin. And what is important – a Catholic should vote for a good Catholic, because – as we notice – the so-called lukewarm Catholics, doubters, bring harm to the normality of our life in the parliament. And we have a right to live in our country according to moral principles which have a source in the Decalogue. And we have a right to have our children brought up in a normal family, we have a right to teach our faith at schools, to teach children correct morality and ethics, not vice or debauchery which are proposed to school by the gender ideology. We have a right to have a policy without hypocrisy, false democracy or a distorted picture of the life of our society. The evil which is threatening us, must be rejected by the Catholic society, we must say the definite: no!
‘Poland needs people of conscience the most’ – said John Paul II in Skoczów. So, let’s look at everything carefully, who represent us and let’s look for those who do it truly and well. And let’s support those in a solidary way. However, we should care about this solidarity, we must build it, among the others, while praying for Homeland in communities. So, let’s join communities of saying rosary prayers in this intention, let’s sacrifice our worries for Homeland, also the ones connected with the current persecutions of the Polish Church.
(AA)
"Niedziela" 44/2013