Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz’s letter to the editor-in-chief of ‘Niedziela’
Dear Monsignor Skubis,
I remember the words of the Holy Father – on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the national weekly ‘Niedziela’ – sent to you as the editor-in-chief who has always been dedicated to proclaim the message of the Gospel and the papal teaching among the faithful of the Church in Poland. Let me allow to quote some short fragments of that letter. At first, John Paul II recollected Bishop Teodor Kubina who ‘wanted the paper to reach families and to be a source of information, a catechism and a prayer book for all people.’ Then the Pope wrote, ‘I thank God that he supports this work with his grace, the work that is constantly growing for the good of the faithful… I ask God for all the gifts of the Holy Spirit for the Reverend Editor-in-chief, the Editors and Workers of the Weekly ‘Niedziela’. My prayer also embraces its Readers in Poland and abroad. I wholeheartedly give you my blessing.’ Reading the above-mentioned thoughts of our beloved Holy Father it is worth noticing his really deepened reflection concerning the works, which we can realise with the help of the Divine Mercy. ‘The pastoral wisdom of Bishop Teodor who initiated a Catholic paper’, says the Pope, ‘is fully at the service of evangelisation. The marketing, advertisement and other reasons did not constitute a major motif for him. His main inspiration was the faithfulness to the Holy Spirit, the desire to form human consciences and pastoral help to those who work in parishes.’ What’s more, the Polish bishops, priests and the increasing number of readers treat ‘Niedziela’ with its numerous diocesan editions in this spirit, shared wholeheartedly by the Servant of God John Paul II. It is true that the weekly, being fully a Catholic paper, experienced its most difficult years during the occupation and the communist rules. However, as a work dedicated to Jesus and Our Lady of Czestochowa it has fortunately survived and is being developed. I cordially encourage the people of my diocese and in general all Catholics in Poland and abroad to read the contents of ‘Niedziela.’ I trust that they initiate both good conversations and deeds. It is with satisfaction that I take this weekly and am glad that one can read it, together with other secular papers, aboard the Polish Airlines planes. I am also convinced that the Catholic Weekly ‘Niedziela’, creating a strong media chain together with other Catholic periodicals present in the publishing market in our Homeland, constitutes a very important element. Moreover, I think that these days the weekly should not be weakened but it should be even more appreciated and sincerely supported.
Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, Archbishop of Krakow
"Niedziela" 10/2009