Ex-Warsaw Archbishop Stanislaw Wielgus in effect misled the pope by his failure to disclose the true nature of his links with the former Polish communist regime, Italian media reports say, as news breaks of the resignation of another high level church official in the late Pope John Paul II’s home diocese of Cracow.
And this is why the whole affair is so unseemly. If a man slated to be Archbishop places himself and his interests so far in front of the R.C. Church and the Pope then he really doesn’t deserve to be in a position of responsibility. This sort of thinking indicates:
A lack of faith – confession and forgiveness are nice for the pew sitters, but mean nothing to him
A lack of discipline – you can cry Pope, Pope, Pope all you want, but if you yourself don’t believe in the guy, why bother.
A failure to abide – rules are great for everyone else. Like celibacy (especially in Poland) is a nice concept, but I’d rather have a woman, lover, and family without being tied down by marriage. Gee bishop, she’s becoming a real pain, can you transfer me to the other side of the diocese.
Cardinal Glemp touched on a piece of the truth in his homily, the part about forgiveness and not believing every last assertion made by the secret police, but ended up flubbing that one as well.
The Cardinal had a great teaching moment thrust in front of him. He could have talked about getting the truth out, how such lies hurt all, how honesty, repentance, and forgiveness is necessary and essential for a Catholic nation. How lustration, at least in the form being practiced by right-wing zealots, will destroy the country, how Poles should come together in truth, repentance, and forgiveness. All solid Catholic teaching. Instead he focused on one man as a good guy who should be given a break. It was R.C. duck and cover (and the Polish and International press are drawing parallels to the same duck and cover that was part of the sex abuse scandals in the U.S. and elsewhere)
A new chapter begins for Voice of the Faithful – VotF – Polska.
The prelate of Wawel Cathedral in Krakow, Janusz Bielanski, offered his resignation to Cardinal Stansilaw Dziwisz and it was accepted immediately, TVN 24 reported…
The body count has just begun. The R.C. Church in Poland needs to do what is right by Catholic/Christian standards, not what is right politically. The Church needs to exert leadership. Otherwise the damage will be deep and more permanent, a society split – something the Nazi Germans and Russian Communists couldn’t achieve.
—The Great Well-Known and Unknown: Toulouse-Lautrec – Chronicler of the Belle Epoque—
Aims of the competition:
To present the creativity of children and teenagers
To popularize art history and to familiarize participants with the great artists
To share artistic and methodological experiences
To develop children’s sensitivity to art
Theme:
After Michael Angelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Monet, Frida Kahlo, Gustav Klimt and Rembrandt the competition’s seventh year is dedicated to Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. We have chosen this representative from the world of art at the turn of the century —“ the French Belle Epoque —“ a draugtsman and painter, an artist who is considered to be the father of contemporary poster art, an amazing portrait painter, and observer of Parisian street life. The spirit of the times is captured perfectly in his works.
We expect you to present the variegated and difficult life of this French painter. Toulouse-Lautrecc – a brilliant artist, descendant of an old, aristocratic family, a disabled dwarf who became a frequent visitor of Parisian cabarets, cafes and honky-tonks, an artist famous for his original poster lithography. We want you to show both the tragic and happy moments of his life as well as the achievements of his artistic activity.
Try to show the artist at work, return to his childhood and youth, follow his journeys, life on Parisian Montmartre, meetings with people, look at his atelier, friendship and love. You can also interpret the topic in your own way.
PLEASE DO NOT COPY THE ARTIST’S WORKS —“ let them be the inspiration for your own works.
Rules:
Age groups: (up to 7) , (8 —“ 11), (12 —“ 15), (16 —“ 21)
Media size : Minimum: 30 x 42 cm, Maximum: 70 x 100 cm
Medium: Painting, drawing, graphic, mixed (only 2D)
Deadline for entries: 15 March 2007
All works should be clearly signed at the back and should contain the following information:
Author’s full name, age
Institution’s address, telephone and e-mail
Teacher’s full name
The title of the work
All the works can be sent back at the request of the artist’s sponsoring institution at it’s own expense within 10 months of the exhibition. After this period all the works will remain with the organizer.
The exhibit and prize ceremony will take place on 1 June 2007. The organizers will inform the authors of awarded works by E-mail or telephone.
The Vatican, Polish press, and MSNBC are all reporting on the resignation of Abp. Stanisław Wielgus. He was to take possession of the Metropolitan See of Warsaw at 11am today (local time).
I never liked lustration, the process of outing former collaborators in formerly communist countries. I actually much prefer the South African truth and reconciliation process. This gets to the heart of the matter and if handled according to Christian ethics, is the best choice for moving forward. As a matter of fact, in some sense the Bush administration is going to have to backtrack on its de-Baathification process and get to truth and reconciliation in Iraq.
In Poland not a small number of clergy cooperated with the U.B. and S.B. (Communist secret police) To a certain extent the outing of their personal sins was perceived to be worse than cooperating with the communist devils. Men entering seminaries were often presented with dossiers on their ‘activities’. Afraid of embarrassment? Do as we say.
What sins? Sexual relationships with women or other men. Priests having ‘secret’ wives and children is quite rampant in Polish society. It is a frequent source of gossip and salon talk. While there were certainly homosexuals among the clergy, heterosexual scandal was the order of the day, going back 1,000 years. As to homosexuality, there hasn’t been much of a homosexual subculture in Polish seminaries until quite recently. The trend in Poland, according to my sources, has been the appointment of homosexual rectors in seminaries. This trend, and the results it produces, will probably save the Church from having to support women who have been, for all intents and purposes, victimized, and from supporting their children. There will be other problems of course.
The recent scandal involving Bishop Wielgus, soon to be installed Archbishop of Warsaw (and that which flows from it, the red hat, the title of Primate of Poland) is a case in point (see the NY Times article Ties to Secret Police Snare Polish Bishop).
Are we to believe that the communist secret police were able to turn him, all for the ‘advantage’ of studying in Germany? The Jagellonian University or KUL (Catholic University of Lublin) have excellent faculties. No need to go to Germany to study. What could have forced a Hobson’s choice on the young priest? I have friends who refused to turn when threatened with rape and death.
The problem is twofold.
The Church imposes a standard that many men cannot endure. The resulting personal and public scandal that results from breaking your ‘commitment’ and choosing God plus God in a personal relationship is too much for some men to bear. This is of course for those who accept personal responsibility. For some, their girlfriend is no more than a convenience and a prospective source for scandal, they are no more than users. I give a ton of credit to priests who seek out the PNCC because they want to lead honest and open lives, with their wives and children. The stories of women and children, victimized and scandalized by absentee priest-fathers and priest-husbands (common law) are many fold.
The other problem is that the deals made with the secret police will be a generational defect. Is revenge and punishment worth the cost to society? I can’t imagine it is. There are those who will bear ill will toward their victimizers forever. We should pray for their healing. Above that, I would hope that a society, with a concordat, that is supposed to be 98% Roman Catholic, get its perspective on repentance and forgiveness in proper order.
The title for this post is lead us not into temptation. The bureaucracy of the R.C. Church and the weakness of men, as well as of those seeking vengeance, are sources of temptation. The best thing to do is to find God’s way in accordance with the Catholic faith once practiced and believed by all. Set aside vengeance and live honestly and justly.
A person’s priorities are often defined by the sort of upbringing they receive – not an absolute truth, for people can reject anything – but a general truth derived from the nature (God given) and nurture we receive.
The following article from The Warsaw Voice: What Poles Prize Most illustrates the power of a culture where faith, and its integration into the culture, leads to family being a priority.
Family happiness is prized above everything else by Poles, a new survey has found. Work is the second most important value, according to the study by the CBOS polling center. Nearly 75 percent of respondents said family happiness was the most important for them. Work comes second (50 percent of those polled). Other issues Poles find important include good health (49 percent); peace and quiet (48 percent); honesty in life (47 percent) and respect from other people (43 percent). These are followed by having a circle of friends, religious faith, national prosperity, education, wealth and freedom of speech. Last on the list are success and fame.
Professional work is most often included as one of the five most important issues by people running their own business (83 percent), young people (70 percent of those aged 25-35) and people with a college education (62 percent).
Nearly all respondents (92 percent) agree that work lends meaning to life, that it is worth being a hardworking person and that any job should be performed with commitment, regardless of its importance. Almost 90 percent say that hard work is a necessary condition for success in life. Eighty-four percent believe that working is a moral obligation toward oneself and other people; 80 percent say that good work brings reward or success.
Nearly half of those surveyed (46 percent) say that satisfaction from work is not necessary, while “material benefits” are the most
important. Some 66 percent say that the primary goal of work is to earn money. Interestingly, 55 percent of respondents say that one cannot become rich from honest work.
The poll was conducted in early November on a representative sample of 979 adults.
I believe that the same can be said for immigrant communities in the diaspora. The people I grew up with, or their parents, who were second generation, still held the same values. I remember the good Felician Sisters saying God, family, country. It stuck. Would that it were so for the world.
Toys, art and artifacts give visitors a sense of “A Polish Christmas.”
Hours: Monday through Wednesday and Friday through Sunday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. through Jan. 8.
Admission: adults $5, students and seniors $4, children under 12 $3.
Call (773) 384-3352 for more information.
A deli is not a deli when it represents the meddlesome level at which government planning boards and other such bodies interfere in free commerce.
Now I agree that planning boards are important in that they help to maintain the character of a community. Citizens generally would disagree with having a big box store dropped down into the center of their quaint downtown. At the same time these boards (often unelected) hold sway over the natural course of business. The story: New Hyde Park Village Reserves Decision on Polish Deli from the Illustrated News makes that fact pretty clear.
After just three months of opening, Polish Deli owner Grzegorz Bak, 916 Jericho Turnpike, New Hyde Park, came before the New Hyde Park Village Board to ask for a special use permit to allow for the ability to cook foods in his store.
And this is necessary because? Now I could see getting a permit from the health department or even an inspection from the fire marshal, but a ‘special use permit’ from an agency that has no business meddling in such things is beyond me. Anyway, if the area is zoned commercial and the establishment fits the zoning, why a permit?
The original permit was for the store to only be a Polish grocery store with no prepared foods and now Bak said he has had inquiries from quite a large number of customers who want him to provide hot Kielbasas, hot pirogies and sandwiches.
See a demand, meet the need – but that would be in a country that didn’t have a planned economy (oops, thought I was in the Soviet Union for awhile).
He explained he has a huge counter and it would be easy to prepare hot foods with a countertop grill. His hours are currently from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. but with the new permit he would also be asking for an extension of hours from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. so that he could provide breakfast foods such as kielbasa with egg sandwiches.
Mayor Daniel Petruccio said that he is always happy to see businesses succeed, but he said he was mindful of the fact that this store is located in very close proximity to Park Deli, which has been in business in New Hyde Park for 49 years.
So the mayor thinks that an older established business has a right of veto over newcomers? Who knew?
I do understand. We wouldn’t want Mr. Khrushchev coming in and pounding his shoe on the counter – oops, flashback again.
Deputy Mayor Robert Lofaro said that coming before the board shortly after receiving an initial permit puts the board in a very “awkward” position.
Of course politicians who make stupid, intrusive, overbearing, bureaucratic rules that require people to kow-tow every time they sneeze creates such an awkward situation. You makes the rules and people are going to have to follow them.
Bak said that most of his customers are of Polish descent and, for the most part, do not live in the New Hyde Park area, but rather come from other areas such as Glen Cove and Hempstead; and when they do they are looking for kielbasas, pirogies and stuffed cabbage.
When the meeting was open to the public, Artie Ruesch, representing his father who owns Park Deli, came to the microphone. He said he felt it was a very bad precedent of the village to allow a permit to be changed in such a short space of time. He pointed out that anyone could receive a permit for a facility and then within months come back to the board and change the conditions of the permit. When asked by trustee Donald Barbieri if he served kielbasa and pirogies he said he did so, but usually just for holidays. He also added that he felt sure that Bak had in the back of his mind when he first applied for the application that he would be coming back to change the conditions of the application.
He further pointed out that there are many food places in the vicinity such as an Italian deli, a diner and Blimpie’s, which closed because of the amount of competition in the area. He ended his short comments by saying, “I hope that you will consider my objections to this application.”
So Mr. Ruesch, who grew up fat and happy (of course I’m guessing, unlike Mr. Ruesch who is certain as to what was in Mr. Bak’s mind) because of his father’s hard work, wants to make sure dad has no competition. Free market and all why don’t you get yourself down to dad’s deli and cook up some pierogi? If Mr. Bak’s business model fails that’s his fault. If he succeeds maybe he’ll give you a job.
The next person to speak was David Peykar, who identified himself as the manager of the building at 916 Jericho Turnpike. He said he disagreed with Ruesch and that competition is good. He pointed out that many stores in the area sell foods, including the bagel shop, Umberto’s, Italian Deli, Pizza Shop and Chinese food store and he said that is good for the village. He said he did advise Bak to go the “extra mile” when he applied for the initial application so that would have been done in “one shot.”
David Peykar, the only person who made any sense in the whole matter. Hey, this guy succeeds my rents go up – cool.
The board reserved decision on the application because it now has to return to the Nassau County Planning Commission; and when their reply is received, in about 30 days, the board will vote on the application.
On a cold and snowy Sunday morning on December 13, 1981 the Poles woke up to find their country under Martial Law (literally – The State of War or “stan wojenny”). The Martial Law was imposed by the Military Council for National Salvation lead by, then, prime minister Gen. Wojciech Jaruzelski and consisting of 20 other high ranking military officers.
The WRON declared Martial Law to “defend socialism”. They felt threatened by the members of the first independent trade union behind the Iron Curtin – the Solidarity (Solidarnosc). The Solidarity had been founded only 18 months earlier, in August of 1980 after several weeks of strikes. The workers had gone on strike to protest poor living conditions and lack of independent representation. With the birth of the Solidarity hopes were high that the new trade union would help to pressure the government to introduce economical reforms and ease restrictions. The government quickly realized that the Solidarity was a threat to the system. Several road blocks were created to derail the Solidarity but the union seemed to grow stronger. The situation made the Soviets very worried and they, on he several occasions, pressured the Polish government and the Polish Communist Party (PZPR) to de-legalized the Solidarity. For the Polish government it soon became apparent that the union was too strong and far too popular to simply de-legalize it. A drastic action was need to oust the Solidarity, so martial law was imposed.
The Constitution stated that martial law could be imposed for defense or national security reasons. The Constitution allowed the State Council (Rada Panstwa) to impose a martial law while the parliament (Sejm) was not in session. Although the parliament was in session, the State Council headed by Henryk Jablonski unconstitutionally passed the law under pressure from the military. Only one member of the Council, Ryszard Reiff, voted against the resolution. The vote took place in the early morning hours of December 13 while Martial Law was under way: people arrested, restriction imposed. The State Council merely rubber stamped the decision of the military that took over the control in the country.
Thousands of Solidarity leadership and activists were arrested and imprisoned without court sentence. Among those arrested was Lech Walesa, the legendary Solidarity leader. The WRON, in an obvious public relations stunt, also arrested some prominent figures from the previous government.
The borders were sealed, airports were closed and road access to main cities was restricted. Travel between cities required permission. Curfew was imposed between 10 pm and 6 am. Telephone lines were disconnected. Mail was subject to censorship. All trade union and other independent organizations were de-legalized. All TV and radio transmissions were suspended (except one government TV channel and one government radio station). Public administration, health services, power generation stations, coal mines, sea ports, train stations, and most of the key factories were placed under military management. The employees had to follow military orders or face a court martial. Classes in schools and at universities were suspended.
From the early morning hours the only TV channel and the only radio station transmitted Gen. Jaruzelski’s address . The anchors wore military uniforms. Only newspapers controlled by the Communist Party or the military were published.
The Poles actively resisted the Martial Law by organizing strikes and street marches, but any resistance to the Martial Law was brutally crushed. On December 16, 1981 the police killed 9 striking coal miners at the Wujek Coal Mine in Katowice. The Poles continued to oppose the WRON – many Solidarity members worked underground. They established, the so called, Revolutionary Solidarity and were involved in publishing independent newspapers, organization of street protests, broadcasting radio programs usually cut off by the government jammers). Thousands were arrested and prosecuted.
Martial Law was suspended on December 31, 1982 and terminated on July 22, 1983. Some of the restrictive legislation introduced during the martial law remained in force through the end of the eighties. The failure of the WRON and the ruling Communist Party became clear in 1989 when the Solidarity won by a land-slide in the first free election after World War II.
My friends in Poland, young, newly married lived in the bloky (concrete apartment blocks built by the communists). The husbands were still conscripts and they didn’t come home that night. They weren’t on the street, they were locked in at their base. The government didn’t want the soldiers armed or out there. The Milicja (police actually) and the dreaded Zomo (convicts let loose) were on the street.
My friends recounted their stories to me, but it wasn’t until we knew each other quite well. The Poles are very open about their private lives. Nothing seems private in a friendly discussion, even among acquaintances. But this issue, this pain, required a different level of closeness. The fear and the pain is very real and lasting.
I pray for them today, for those injured, killed, or imprisoned then and now – including those jailed and tortured by our own government. Were our ideals fashioned solely for the fight against communism, or are they deeper than that? I don’t really know.
All I can say is that it is very important that we do not forget, that we do not loose sense of what we stood for and what we stand for. It can happen here, martial law, shortages, an inability to speak openly. It is happening subtly right now. God have mercy on us.
Polish-American poet John Surowiecki of Connecticut has won the 2006 Pablo Neruda Prize in Poetry, which is part of the annual Nimrod/Hardman Literary Awards. He won for his poem “American Stroke.” An excerpt of his poem is available in the Featured Issue page at the Nimrod website.
Nimrod is an international journal of prose and poetry published by the University of Tulsa.
Renee from the Polish American Forum notes that her parents received two replies to letters they sent as follows:
“Thanks for your comments. Anyone who knows anything about World War II knows that Poland didn’t kill $3 million people. The Nazis did. But we should have done a better job in the caption to make clear that Mr. Weiss was standing beside a wall at the Holocaust Center containing the Poland inscription and that the inscription about Poland referred to everyone killed by the Nazis. Thanks again for the feedback. David Ashenfelter”
and
“Hello again. We’re planning to write a clarification for tomorrow’s paper about the photo, where it was taken and what the inscription meant. Thanks again for taking the time to respond to the story. We appreciate and value your comments… Best wishes. David Ashenfelter”
