Poland 'in need of cutting ties to communism'

Following the resignation of archbishop Wielgus and the scandal over his lying about his communist past, the Church, as well as other areas of Polish public life, are in need of finally cutting harmful ties with the country's communist past, say commentators.

The scandal over archbishop Wielgus that made headlines the world over seems to result in the acceleration of the process of clearing the Catholic Church in Poland of dangerous ties with the country's communist past.

A well-known head of the Wawel Cathedral in Kraków, fr. Janusz Bielański, resigned from his post, following a publication in one of the weeklies about his alleged cooperation with communists.

Controversy is also in the air over the papal nuncio to Poland, bishop Janusz Kowalczyk, who is suspected of withholding vital information on the scandals in Poland before the Vatican.

And today's Dziennik has published an article on the collaboration with the communist secret police of 12 bishops working in high places in the late 1970s. The bishops were to be instructed by the communist police to influence the choice of a new primate of Poland who was to succeed Cardinal Wyszyński, a person highly uncomfortable for the communist authorities.

Investigative journalist, Tomasz Pompowski, co-author of the article in Dziennik talks about the secret police documents that were found:

'These documents show probably for the first time in the Polish press the degree of the infiltration of the Episcopate and highest Church officials by the secret police. We probably can identify two codenames. Fr. Isakowicz-Zalewski will be describing one of them in his book. To the best of my knowledge, two of them are still alive, one of them still works as a bishop.'

According to Catholic commentator, Tomasz Terlikowski, the good thing about the recent scandal is the speeding up of the cleansing process in the Church:

'As we are witnessing now, the clearing process in the Church has accelerated. The Church historical committee has started working on this very actively. This is a positive sign. We will see what will come out of it. A lot depends on the committee itself. Will it aim to actually clear the church or rather excuse past sins?'

Not only the Church, but also other areas of public life in Poland are in need of cleansing of communist connections, argues Tomasz Terlikowski. This especially pertains to journalists, among whom the communist police had many collaborators. It has recently come to light that several leftist commentators, including Daniel Passent of the weekly Polityka were collaborators of the communist regime:

'There is no doubt that other proffessions should go through the process of clearing, including us, journalists.'

Whether a complete vetting process will take place in Poland, remains to be seen, as there is a strong and influential camp that opposes the clearing, notices political commentator professor Andrzej Zybertowicz:

'I think the struggle over the vetting process is to be continued. There is a sort of unholy alliance within the triangle of the post-communists, the social circles of Adam Michnik and "Gazeta Wyborcza", and, what's more astonishing the Radio Maryja and Fr. Rydzyk. Members of this alliance seem to be entangled in a sort of culture of mendacity, because the word 'understatement' would be much too weak. Anti-vetting interest are still very much powerful in Poland and they will not easily resign from opposing the vetting process.'

And what is the nearest future for the Church in Poland generally? Tomasz Terlikowski again:

'As a matter of fact we are still in the eye of the storm awaiting what's going to happen. The most important thing is the new archbishop metropolitan of Warsaw - a lot depends on who will take that post. Will that be a man who is able to bring people together, a young person with a clear past? But above all, will that be a person with personal holiness that won't be questioned by anyone?'

On Friday the Polish Episcopate will convene to discuss most pressing issues.

During my visits to Eastern Europe both before and after the CCCP failed, the same Commie thugs were in control.

"Businessmen are the one group that distinguishes capitalism and the American way of life from the totalitarian statism that is swallowing the rest of the world.
All the other social groups- workers, farmers, professional men, scientists, soldiers- exist under dictatorships, even though they exist in chains, in terror, in misery, and in progressive self-destruction.
But there is no such group as businessmen under a dictatorship.
Their place is taken by armed thugs: by bureaucrats and commissars.
Businessmen are the symbol of a free society- the symbol of America."

Source: Capitalism – The Unknown Ideal Chapter 3

AYN RAND

During my visits to Eastern Europe both before and after the CCCP failed, the same Commie thugs were in control.

Still struggling with them down here in Poland.

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