Honorray Committee – without honour
Fr Walerian Slomka
On the day that was meaningful for Catholics and our nation: on the feast of the Ascension, on the commemoration day of the Cardinal of the Millennium: his passing to the Father’s House (then it was 28 May 1981), on the day when the whole Church in Poland prayed for the beatifications of the Servants of God: John Paul II and Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski and on the feat day of Poland’s patron Saint Andrzej Bobola, the members of the Honorary Committee, supporting the acting President Bronislaw Komorowski as candidate for the President of the Republic of Poland gathered in Palac na wodzie [At the Water Palace]. According to the press announcement the Committee (160 people) embraced the intellectual, political, cultural and social elites – presuppose: moral – graced by the Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk himself.
‘Ideal’ touched bottom?
The show, which was announced in such a way, could not be disregarded by citizens. It seemed that the people who before the plane crash at Smolensk had insulted President Lech Kaczynski and the whole Law and Justice Party, blaming them for all political evil in Poland, understood the big chasm that separated them from the nation or as they wished to speak: Polish society, that now in the light of this tragedy they would show new standards, new manners in their behaviours and speeches.
And what happened? O horror! We saw and heard even more furious members of the committee, threatening with a civil war, accusing the charismatic politicians of pathology and humiliating the candidate of the opposition in such a shameful way that we should shout: this ‘ideal’, uttering these words, really reached bottom. How can one understand it? It seems that only fear of defeat can make people be out of mind. It is confirmed by the demand to take over TVP 1. The other channels have already served them and TVP must be seized because the Polish nation was shown in this channel. But the channel must be added to freedom of speech controlled by the ruling party.
They closed their eyes so that others could see
People calling themselves all kinds of elite! Do not think that the Polish nation has sawdust instead of grey substance in mind. Firstly, respect the principles of logical thinking! If Jaroslaw Kaczynski sends ‘Letter to Friends-Russians’, do not mix the matters. Russians are one thing and the authorities of the Russian state are another thing. If you say that all people support your candidate, those who do not belong to this group ask, ‘What have you done with us? Have you sentenced us to death? Preserve some righteousness so that this nation that showed dignity facing the tragedy, that had to apologise to late President Lech Kaczynski for the fact that the nation allowed to be deceived and cheated, gained new eyes as if the words that someone ascribed to those who lost their lives for the country were fulfilled, ‘our eyes were closed so that you could see.’ Remember the old principle that if some nation, or if you wish, some society, experiences the world of values differently than the authorities, it is the nation – society that is right.
Where does the political panic come from?
Your horror is completely incomprehensible for viewers and listeners. After all it is only presidential elections, the president that has limited possibilities! Those were the arguments for Donald Tusk who resigned from the presidential race, claiming – by the way rightly –as Prime Minister he has better prerogatives and possibilities to influence the form of Poland’s life. Why are you afraid so much? Is there anything about which the nation – society does not know? The important elections will be held in the future – Parliamentary elections!
Do not strive for accusations that should be refuted as in the case of the Bishop of Kielce. We know that for decades the Church of Christ, popes, bishops and priests could be spat on with impunity. You have got used to that but recollect the words of the Apostle Paul, ‘So no matter who you are, if you pass judgement you have no excuse. In judging others you condemn yourself, since you behave no differently from those you judge’ (Romans 2:1).
We can see the paranoia of accusing the Church of the sin of paedophilia. Where the sin occurs we should rescue the juvenile and punish the guilty but during this time of accusations in Holland a party of paedophiles was created. Were there any protests? The Church has never preached about the sinlessness of popes, bishops, priests or all other believers. On the contrary, when popes, bishops and priests commit sins they have the courage to stand before God and people and admit their sins in every Liturgy but also individually in the sacrament of penance and reconciliation. They have no other Gospel of salvation for themselves and for the laity. If they sin the only way of salvation for them, as well as for the laity, is conversion and penance. Do they who investigate the real and also invented sins of clergy with such power and perversity see themselves in their sinfulness in such a way?
‘The word has not converted, the blood has converted’
The plane crash at Smolensk, shed blood on the Altar of Homeland, calls us all to conversion, to a new way of leading the nation – society. It should be so. It happened after the martyrdom of St. Stanislaw as Karol Wojtyla wrote in his poem entitled ‘Stanislaw’, ‘the word has not converted, the blood has converted.’ The blood of the daughters and sons of the Smolensk massacre calls for such a conversion. That’s why, you, candidates for President, do not support yourselves with dubious elites. May your power be the nation – society! Put your ears to the pulse of this nation – society. Hear their hunger and desires. This is a hunger for the truth, justice, respect for religious values, mutual respect between various political groups and your service , according to the words of the Lord, ‘ You know that among the pagans their so-called rulers lord it over them, and their great men make their authority felt. This is not to happen among you. No, anyone who wants to become great among you must be your servant, and anyone who wants to be first among you must be slave to all (Mark 10:42-44). Acting in this way you need not fear the nation – society. But following the way of hypocrisy and following crooked ways you will become the creators of ‘new civil shame’. Prof. Jacek Trznadel unmasked the first one of the communist period. Do no go this way since cheated and harmed nations will burst out in anger like it was described by Karol Wojtyla in his play ‘Our God’s Brother’, ‘anger must burst… and it will last because it is right.’
"Niedziela" 22/2010