History
Poland at the edge of an abyss
Piotr Chmielinski
On 13 December 1981 the programme 'Teleranek' [TV Morning] was not broadcast. Instead children could see the tanks from their windows and they could watch General Jaruzelski who threatened that Poland was at the edge of an abyss. »
Leszek Cichoblazinski talks to Prof. Dr. Andrzej Chwalba, historian at the Jagiellonian University in Krakow.
We are deeply convinced that after World War II Poland was the only country where there was an anti-communist opposition. Lithuanians, Latvians, Hungarians are of different opinion. However, the phenomenon of 'Solidarity' could have happened only in our country. »
The Establishment of the Third Republic of Poland
Leszek Cichoblazinski talks to Prof. Dr. Andrzej Chwalba, historian at the Jagiellonian University, Krakow.
The communist system would fall anyway, but John Paul II speeded up that fall to a considerable extent... people straightened up, felt confident and stopped being afraid. »
Leszek Cichoblazinski talks to Prof. Dr. Andrzej Chwalba.
After the disastrous war, in 1950 the economic development of Poland and of Italy was almost the same. Portugal, Greece and Spain were far behind. In Poland General Jaruzelski was only outdistanced by Romania as far as poverty of the country was concerned. Even the Soviet republics, such as Ukraine and Byerussia, had better economy than we did. The communist system destroyed our civilization. »
Leszek Cichoblazinski talks to Prof. Dr. Andrzej Chwalba, historian at the Jagiellonian University in Krakow, about historical politics.
Poland should demand its role in regional and European history... If we only repent we will be midgets and object of Europe's ridicule. »
Christianity did not allow itself to be shut away
Archbishop Jozef Michalik
On 28 June all Poland was wholeheartedly in Poznan to honour the indomitable city and its inhabitants who protested against the empire of evil in order to protect human dignity, freedom, justice and God. Pope Benedict XVI and the Polish bishops paid homage to the Heroes of the Poznan June 1956 uprising. »
The truth about Katyn continued
Fr Ireneusz Skubis
On 5th March 1940 the worst criminal of all times Joseph Stalin signed the death sentence on 22,000 Polish officers. The elite of the Polish nation was murdered by shot in the back of the head. We were ordered to keep silence about this event for several decades. Today the heirs of the criminal system do not want to acknowledge that the Katyn massacre was the crime of genocide. »
Ewa Polak-Palkiewicz
'He was so tough that even his executioner said that he had not met such a man before', recollected the fellow prisoner of Leon Krzeczunowicz, called 'Roland', 'Ekspress', 'SI', co-founder of the underground landowners' organisation (called 'Tarcza' [Shield], 'Opieka' [Care]). In the world of disappearing authorities it is worth mentioning those who saved the nation. »
Fr Hubert Czuma, S.J.
After World War II had ended Germans paid for their crimes. After the fall of communism none of the builders of this system in Poland and in the world has been judged. But that's not all; the Polish state pays enormous pensions to those who made us slaves. »
Kozielsk, General Anders' Army, the Vatican - unique Christmases of Fr Zdzislaw Peszkowski
Remigiusz Malinowski
I meet Msgr. Zdzislaw Peszkowski in his flat, the parish house next to St John's Cathedral in Warsaw Old Town. »
Poland, patriotism, remembrance - 13 December 1981
Fr Ireneusz Skubis
In spite of the precisely planned communists' action aiming at enslaving the nation, in spite of blood and sufferings, the process of freedom, which 'Solidarity' began, could not be stopped. »
Celebration of the 21st anniversary of Fr Popieluszko's death
Milena Kindziuk
On the 21st anniversary of the martyr's death of Fr Jerzy Popieluszko people paid the debt of gratitude for Father Jerzy who had prayed with them and for them. Now they wanted to pray for him. And they asked him to intercede for them. »
The Polish War Cemetery in Miednoje
Bishop Ryszard Karpinski
Miednoje is one of the places of the Polish officers' massacre - prisoners of 1939, murdered at the command of Stalin in 1940. Every year the families of the murdered officers, Polish priests and representatives of the Polish government arrive at the War Cemetery (the Katyn cemetery) to honour through prayer the sons of the Polish land. »
Fr. Ignacy Skorupka and numerous Polish soldiers died for Christian Poland and Europe in 1920. Our task is to preserve that heritage
Bishop Stanislaw Wielgus
Sermon delivered on 13 August 2005, at the square in front of the cathedral of the Warsaw-Praga Diocese, on the occasion of the 85th anniversary of the Miracle on the Vistula »
Poland and Europe need solidarity
Sermon delivered at Mass in Gdansk, 31 August 2005, by Archbishop Stanislaw Dziwisz, Krakow, delegate of Benedict XVI, to the 25th anniversary of the Trade Union 'Solidarnosc'. »