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New blog post: August 31 – An excerpt from A Generation by Krzysztof Kamil Baczyński http://bit.ly/kmFIP [deacon_jim]
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New blog post: The Polish American Community in the 21st Century: Challenges and Opportunities Conference http://bit.ly/17SWE0 [deacon_jim]
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New blog post: The National Church model versus Ostpolitik http://bit.ly/NT6qv [deacon_jim]
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Bishop Hodur strongly advanced the idea of the National Church model (really no different than the Orthodox model – the local bishop with his clergy and people around the Holy Eucharist represents the fullness of the Church). Among the reasons for this advocacy was Bishop Hodur’s knowledge and experience of the Polish Church’s struggles. Real world experience showed that the good of the local Church was often secondary to the political machinations of the Bishop of Rome and the Vatican bureaucracy.
Hillary White (thanks to the Young Fogey for the links) has two articles that explore the Vatican’s betrayal of local Church leaders, particularly Cardinals Mindszenty and Beran. The Wikipedia article on the Vatican’s “Ostpolitik” refers to the phenonena as an invention of Paul VI. In fact it is a policy that has been entrenched in the Vatican for centuries. Poland was betrayed numerous times
Read Church of Traitors and Church of Traitors, Part II. The telling lines from Part II:
Casaroli continues,
…
“We opted for negotiations, because we didn’t know how long those regimes would last, and in the meantime we had a moral obligation to insure that the Church had priests, that the faithful could receive the Eucharist and go to Confession. If we lost the hierarchical institution, we would lose the Church…”
Now, this is interesting, because I have known some priests who were underground in Soviet bloc countries and their stories are illustrative. Had the Vatican supported their efforts, would the Faith have died or flourished? Would the Church have been “lost” as Casaroli said? Hard to say at this distance in time.
But from what I have been told, the Church was flourishing. And one of my informants was a Slovak priest who was ordained secretly in Czechoslovakia, one of the countries that Casaroli described as a “hardline” state in which the Church would have “died out” without his “careful step-by-step diplomacy”.
The difference, perhaps between men like Casaroli in the Vatican and the men actually baptising and marrying and saying Mass in secret in these countries was that the latter knew and accepted the possibility of martyrdom. It seems that Casaroli and his popes rejected that possibility utterly and were more interested in creating comforts, a typical Novusordoist goal.
I wonder, who bore true witness to the faith, who stood on the side of God’s politics? In my book it was the local Church, those who knew the situation on ground, the evils of the communist system, the violence and selfishness of its leaders, and who nevertheless chose to face the consequences of witness to the faith. As Tertullian wrote: The blood of martyrs is the seed of the Church.
Ye who have wandered thro’ each foreign land
Have marked the Seine and Tiber’s silver course
And raised’ the eye to Alpine summits grand,
Should ye not blush to seek for beauty’s source
In other countries than your own? Behold
Where scenes as beautiful arrest the eyes
In Ojców’s groves and forests manifold —
Its river’s flow, its rocks that grandly rise!
Translation from Poets and Poetry of Poland A Collection of Polish Verse, Including a Short Account of the History of Polish Poetry, with Sixty Biographical Sketches of Poland’s Poets and Specimens of Their Composition by Paul Soboleski
Komu obce strony znane,
Wstydem lice swe zarumień,
Jeśliś widział Tybr, Sekwanę,
A Prądnika minął strumień.Po co szukać obcych krajów,
Alp odwiedzać grzbiet wysoki?
Wśród Ojcowa skał i gajów
Równie szczytne masz widoki.
The Polish American Congress has announced its National Conference program: “The Polish American Community in the 21st Century: Challenges and Opportunities (Polonia Amerykańska w XXI w.: Wyzwania i Możliwości).”
The PAC National Conference to be held October 15 and 16, 2009, in Chicago, Illinois at Northeastern Illinois University. The theme of the conference is “The Polish American Community in the 21st Century: Challenges and Opportunities, The conference offers leaders, activists, and all persons interested in a vigorous Polish American community an opportunity to exchange experiences, share aspirations, and discuss best practices with others from across the United States.
The two-day conference, beginning at 9:00 am Thursday, October 15 and concluding Friday evening, October 16, will feature both general and issue-specific sessions. Elected leaders and representatives of Chicago, Illinois, the United States, and the Government of Poland are expected to address the conference’s Opening Session. Representatives and guests from Poland have been invited to join in selected sessions.
General sessions will examine the profile of the current Polish American community (often referred to as “Polonia”); leadership development; relations between the United States, the Polish American community and Poland; and the future of Polonia and its organizational challenges and opportunities.
Issue-specific sessions will address a range of topics, including: educational partnerships, teaching and learning; the role, importance and need for ethnic organizations; increasing political involvement and influence in the American political process; preservation and promotion of Polish culture and heritage in the United States; opportunities for participating in business between the United States and Poland; and networking in the community through sports, charities, and professional and social networks.
A reception and recital of the music of Chopin and Paderewski will conclude Thursday’s sessions. A concluding reception on Friday will afford participants an opportunity to network and socialize. Displays of information about the Polish American community, organizations and contributions will be featured around the university’s conference center.
Information about the National Conference, registration, arrangements, and opportunities for supporting the event is available from the Congress’ conference site or by contacting the Congress at 1612 K Street NW, Suite 410, Washington, DC 20006, Tel.: (202) 296-6955, Fax: (202) 835-1565.