The top of the facade of the Cathedral Basilica of St. John in Warsaw with an eagle, a cross and the sign of the Invincible Sun (Sol invictus). According to many people Poland is the faithfuil daughter the Roman Catholic Church, and Rome (or Vatican) is in Poland everywhere!
(Bazylika archikatedralna św. Jana Chrzciciela przy ul. Świętojańskiej w Warszawie, a part of the picture of Adrian Grycuk, CC B-Y 3.0 – Wikimedia)
June 10, 1971. For the first time in many years, the state allowed the Roman Church, the priests and the believers to march through the streets of the cities on the day of the Catholic Feast of Corpus Christi.
However, the processions had to be severely restricted because of the short distances assigned to them. That is why they could not be planned very generously, but rather modestly.
In the Polish capital, for example, the procession began with a mass in St. John's Cathedral. The Catholics marched from this cathedral to the square in front of the Royal Castle. The only main street on their route was Krakowskie Przedmieście (Krakow Suburb). As a result the entire procession did not leave the old town with its buildings from the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries.
Corpus Christi processions in other major cities in the country proceeded in the same way
Since the time when the Chancellor Otto von Bismarck led the Kulturkampf (the clash of civilisations) against the Catholics throughout the German Empire, the Roman Church in Poland has been considered as the pillar of Poland not only among right-wing conservative circles, but also among the ordinary people. Also as the source from which the Polish people draw their customs and culture.
Basically, however, their role was assessed quite differently by the ruling PVAP. Namely, the government gave almost 100 percent openly to understand that this church was symbolic of the underdevelopment of Poland and of the lack of any education among the common people. The conclusion to be drawn from this is that if not all, at least a lot of Catholic priests are hardly to be called progressive.
So they are free to organize their parades in the middle of buildings from ancient times, but not in the modern building districts that were built by the People's Republic of Poland. Neighborhoods that were mostly inhabited by former villagers who decided to live in the city, so that the pastor of the village no longer watched them closely and judged them every Sunday in sermons.
The head of the Church Cardinal Wyszynski, who often ssemed to assume the position of the uncrowned King of Poland, and Cardinal Karol Wojtyla personally led such shortened processions in the present and former capital of the country. In this way they clearly expressed their support for the new state and party leadership and Gierek's personal decision to significantly alleviate the course of confrontation against the clergy.
For many years, the previous Communist leader Gomulka did not consent to these marches
He justified this by saying that he would have to cut off road traffic across the country, which worked normally on these Thursdays and needed free travel for people who had to go to work and return home from there. Gierek took a similar stance, not allowing passage along the main roads and in this way not allowing serious difficulties in public and private traffic, as well as in the transport of agricultural and industrial goods.
The meaning of these facts was also perfectly clear
The new and in every respect more tolerant leader of the already rather tolerant Communist regime in Warsaw admitted that the country's largest religious association has the right to participate in public life. However, the latter has – according to him – no right to play the most important role in Poland, and will be of cousre, not allowed even try to impose its holidays and views on society as a whole. As it turned out, Stefan Wyszynski only agreed to such a situation for the next three years.
Polish Fiat 125p, a symbol of the 1970s in the Italian and British patterned country, seen against the background of Gierek-era housing. The high-rise housing estates built at that time were higher and more conspicuous than the cathedrals. The Church lives in the Church and Poland in all of Poland!
(the picture of the author)
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