A MARCH OF THE FREEDOM OF SPEECH

Artur Stelmasiak

A big crowd of people came out into the streets of Warsaw on 21 April this year in the defence of the freedom of speech, Television 'Trwam' and Catholic values.
The march started with a common prayer during the military Holy Mass on the Warsaw square of the Three Crosses. Thousands of white-red flags and hundreds of banners were fluttering in the breeze over the crowd of the faithful. - We are gathering in the heart of Warsaw so that all possibilities would open and there would not be any bans or difficulties which are not justified by anything but, maybe only by the hatred to the truth and hostility to our nation - Bishop and Ordinary of Drohiczyn diocese Antoni Dydycz said during the homily. - We are praying for justice to come so that Television 'Trwam' could take advantage of other technical achievements and received its place on the multiplex.

A protest of mature Poles

Bishop Dydycz reminded the fragments of the teaching by the Second Vatican Council which say that media should be really 'social means to express thoughts' - It includes a care for the truth. We care about sharing thoughts, not any false information, accusations or slanders. In the Catholic teaching the truth feels like at home. Unfortunately, it is impossible to say so about most media in Poland - he emphasized. - Documents of the Vatican Council clearly state among the others that the secular authority should care for receivers so that they would freely use their rights. What is the attitude of the National Broadcasting Council to it in reference to the only Catholic television? The answer is obvious - Bishop Dydycz said.
During the Holy Mass there many thanks expressed to thousands of people who arrived to pray and defend the freedom of speech. - It is an expression of maturity of those who come out onto the streets, who write protest letters, who know what role the contemporary mass media should play - Bishop Dydycz stated. - For, we cannot allow these mass media to form only egoistic, consumptive, hedonistic or anti-social attitudes.
After the Eucharist, a connection with the director of Radio Maryja, Father Tadeusz Rydzyk CSsR was made through live image transmission. - Thank you that today there is beautiful Poland on the square of the Three Crosses - Father Rydzyk said. - If the National Broadcasting Council is still so hard like concrete, we will not finish in this one march. Our homeland needs an essential conversation, debates, learning about an opinion of other people. Today we must demand it.

Common ideals

Among the participants of the Holy Mass and the march, there were many members of the Radio Maryja Family and the Association 'In Solidarity 2010', clubs of the 'Polish Newspaper', there were also the union members of the Trade Union Solidarity and the representatives of many other independent associations and organisations. In the white-red crowd there were also politicians from the Law and Justice Party, Solidary Poland and the Rightist Party of the Polish Republic. When the march arrived at the Chancellory of the Chairman of the Ministry Council, the voice was taken by Jaroslaw Kaczynski. - At present we have a time of marches. But these are marches having a very clear and defined purpose, which is independent, democratic, righteous, just and proud Poland. Therefore, also we are going in this march with our raised heads - the chairman of the Law and Justice Party said. Those should be ashamed who raise their hands against the Polish Church, the Solidarity; those who raise their hands against the dignity of our nation.
The chairman of the Law and Justice Party also said that Polish Catholics are told to be quiet and they remain silent. There are attempts to push them aside into a margin and eliminate them from the public life. They are to be citizens of the second category, whereas every honest man, even a non-believer must admit that Polish Catholics have right to their media and that media in a democratic country should be varied, because they are not able to fulfil their basic role without it - Jaroslaw Kaczynski said.
The chairman of the Law and Justice Party also appealed to the leader of Solidary Poland Zbigniew Ziobro for the reconciliation in the Rightist Party. He answered in his speech at Belveder. - Here, in this place in Warsaw, a common matter united us. We are a community, unity around such values as freedom, common heritage and our endangered democracy - said the chairman of Solidary Poland. - Today the defence of TV Trwam is the defence of Polish freedom. We must show that we are united by common ideals - added the leader of the Law and Justice Party.

JAROSŁAW SELLIN, the former member of the National Broadcasting Council
The lack of the concession for 'Lux Veritatis' may cause a situation that TV Trwam will never be accessible for a wide group of viewers. It means that not only will it not develop, but it may start to shrink. In my opinion it is an action on purpose, which is political and parametric. The government stated that the Television which forms a different social and moral sensitivity is inconvenient. The right of development belong only to the media corporations which are loyal to the authority. As a result we have a situation that among 50 concessions for broadcasting digital television in Poland there is no place for the Catholic Television.

ADAM BUJAK, a photographer of Blessed John Paul II
Freedom and pluralism full of opinions should oblige in media. What is being done with the concession for TV Trwam is an expression of paranoia and hatred of the government. If our authority was following these values about which everybody say in the programs of TV Trwam, there would not be such unrighteousness in Poland. However, we must thank the government for one thing: for an advertisement. - Father Tadeusz Rydzyk could not afford such an advertisement campaign of media. I think that the government did not expect such a strong reaction of the nation. It will have to step down.

(AA)

"Niedziela" 18/2012

Editor: Tygodnik Katolicki "Niedziela", ul. 3 Maja 12, 42-200 Czestochowa, Polska
Editor-in-chief: Fr Jaroslaw Grabowski • E-mail: redakcja@niedziela.pl