LISTEN TO GOD MORE THAN PEOPLE

Cracow, after Jasna Góra and Gniezno was another phase of the national thanksgiving for canonization of two Popes. On 11 May – that is, on Sunday after 8 May, when there is a feast of St. Stanisław the Bishop and Martyr – there were central ceremonies to the honour of the patron of Poland and the archdiocese of Cracow. First, with the beat of the bell ‘Zygmunt’ the traditional procession with relics of the Polish saints set off from Wawel. The procession to the basilica of the Pauline Fathers on Skałka was presided over by the archbishop Miami Thomas Wenski. The solemn Holy Mass to the honour of St. Stanislaw concelebrated at the altar of the Three Millenniums gathered the Polish Episcopate, believers from whole Poland and guests from abroad, in order to thank for canonization of John XXIII and John Paul II. The Eucharist was presided over by cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, the metropolitan of Cracow, who said in the beginning: - The Church of Cracow in the unity with our all compatriots is gathering during this ceremony in order to thank for the gift which we received in the person of the pastor of our times – who is a saint today – pope John Paul II. We are standing here, emotionally moved, in the place connected with martyrdom of the Saint bishop Stanislaw, in order to pray to his saint successor. Here we are addressing him with the full and final name: Saint John Paul II – pray for us! The homily was preached by cardinal Kazimierz Nycz. The metropolitan of Warsaw expressed his hope, that today the pope of family – Saint John Paul II, like the cult of the martyr from Szczepanów before centuries, can unite Poles and lead them to the religious renewal of the nation. He assured that the Church would always remind about steadfast moral law and stand on the guard of values which are non-negotiable because it must listen to God more than people. – The Church will always say it even when there are attempts to speak about such secularity of the country in which there is no place for religion or the Church, and the presence of state authorities in religious ceremonies is treated as unacceptable. We do not want to have such secularity of the Polish country – emphasized cardinal Nycz. Referring to the person of Saint bishop Stanislaw, who sacrificed his life for God’s people of the Church in Cracow, cardinal Nycz reminded that his martyr’s death nearly 100 years after the baptism of Poland was called the Sacrament of Confirmation of the Polish nation. During the ceremonies archbishop Wenski spoke Polish. – I am arriving at this holy place in order to worship St. Stanislaw. I am arriving at the grave and place of the saint bishop’s martyrdom as bishop and pilgrim, I am arriving at the city which gave so many excellent saints – starting with St. Jadwiga to John Paul II – he said. Archbishop Wenski called Cracow a school of the saints. He acknowledged martyrdom and canonization of St. Stanislaw as the cause of moral and spiritual revival and the uniting of the nation. The metropolitan of Miami noted that Christianity is a great testimony of an absolute good and power of the truth as well as greatness and joy of life. Such a horizon of look allows for going beyond time and culture as well as every human tradition. – As a bishop from America I am brining you the testimony of faith, testimony of the Polish religious and spiritual culture, as well as great religiousness and cult of St. Stanislaw behind the ocean – he confessed. He emphasized that we should learn from St. Stanislaw to defend faith and truth of Christ’s Gospel, and from John Paul II – an attitude of steadfast brevity and courage in preaching the Gospel with a word and deed.

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"Niedziela" 20/2014

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