WHO WILL STAND UP FOR CARDINAL DZIWISZ?
FR. PAWEŁ ROZPIĄTKOWSKI
It was painful, the feeling of shame was painful. A compress for the wound were smiling – as usually – faces of parishioners, hands shaken friendlily for greeting, which were saying that they did not evaluate all priests in the same way. Despite that pain, I do not have any doubts that the voice of bishops was necessary, and, that is why, I thank my shepherds for their quick reaction, including the ones, in which they admitted that they had not done everything to prevent from terrible evil. It was just what was to be expected from sensitive priests standing on the guard, taking care of believers. I would like to appreciate it, as I perceive (it is difficult not to see it), that now it is just them, or maybe more than culprits of those horrible acts – some of whom are dead, some of whom have been judged, and others have been removed from the state of priesthood – they are at the target of the enemies of Church, and sometimes personal enemies of God. We must know that pedophilia is defined as a global phenomenon concerning a lot of environments. Priests are 0.3 percent of the accused of pedophilia, and 99.7 percent are people of other professions. One can ask a question why there is so little interest in pedophilia beside the church environment….
Bishops at the target
Let’s note that the Chilean option was very quick, nearly at the same time as releasing the film of the Sekielski brothers ‘Only do not tell anyone’, a radical demand from the most outraged publicists attacking Church – who do not care about Church and those who are usually supporters of the so-called progressive political option, including, among the others, LGBT ideology. The abbreviation means a postulate of demission of all Polish bishops. Because it was not very credible to believe, the target of attacks were some hierarch, including archbishop Stanisław Gądecki, who is sensibly managing the works of the Polish Episcopal Conference, due to which he gained trustfulness among most bishops, who elected him a chairman for the second cadency; archbishop Sławoj Leszek Głódź –he has been at the target of liberal media for a long time; archbishop Marek Jędraszewski – standing out with the courage of his statements; and recently – cardinal Stanisław Dziwisz, a retired bishop, but still an important and natural custodian of the heritage of St. John Paul II in Poland and in the whole Church.
A ruthless attack
An attack on the last one is particularly perfidious, as it is aimed against St. John Paul II. The signal for this attack was given by the very author of the film, who called up journalists in one of his interviews: ‘They should stand at the house of cardinal Dziwisz and demand on answering questions about concealing pedophilia by Pope (they meant St. John Paul II) and by himself’. Because it is difficult to match cardinal Dziwisz with the pedophilic scandal with participation a priest from the times when he was administering the archdiocese of Cracow, there are attempts to slander him without any evidence- concerning protection of culprits of pedophilic crimes at the level of the global Church. For this purpose – as it was mentioned there is no evidence – reluctant media are trying to present him as a manipulator, a mysterious person, concealing lots of secrets and doing unclear business. All this is done via horrible suggestions and unpleasant half-truths; media are using words out of the context of known priests by names or surnames or they are quoting sources which want to maintain anonymity. They award those who would prove the truthfulness of these quotes being disapproving for the cardinal and proving the thesis that the cardinal is involved in what really makes believers outraged.
In defence of the Saint Pope
Cardinal Stanisław Dziwisz is a natural custodian of the heritage left by St. John Paul II. It seems that he does not want protection of his name as much as protection of the authority of the greatest Pole and son of the modern Church – St. John Paul II. This significant authority of the Polish Pope worries many Poles and some intra-ecclesiastical environments in the world – such people were and are. Their aversion to St. John Paul II was presented in the recent essay by the senior pope Benedict XVI, like in the context of rejecting the encyclical ‘Veritatis splendor’ by these groups.
Where is the generation of John Paul II?
In the context of growing attacks on St. John Paul II there appears this question: where is the generation of John Paul II? It included ‘foster children’ of St. John Paul II. This group consisted of everyone for whom he was the authority, who shared the values proclaimed by him and who were following him being proud of him.
During the earthly life of St. John Paul II and after his death nearly everyone were identifying themselves with the generation of JPII. At that time it did not require special courage. Today it requires a bit more self-confidence but it is time we made an effort and showed gratitude to St. John Paul II and our relation with him, also through defending the custodian of his heritage.
Translated by Aneta Amrozik
Niedziela 23/2019 (9 VI 2019)