Page 24 - Michael August 2021

u consecrated bishop by Cardinal Hlond at the nation- As Wyszynski became cardinal on January 12,
al shrine of Jasna Góra. In his coat of arms, Bishop 1953, the Communist regime intensified its hostile
Wyszynski placed the image of Our Lady of Czesto- attacks against the Church. On February 9, 1953, it
chowa and the motto Soli Deo (Glory to God alone). issued a strict decree that placed the Church under
The faithful quickly rec- Communist control. Then the government took an-
ognized in this 45-year-old other radical step against the Church: it demanded
bishop the father of work- from every Catholic priest an oath of loyalty to the
ers and peasants, the head Communist government. Cardinal Wyszynski strongly
of the nation; in short, the opposed this action.
only moral authority in the In September 1953, the Warsaw Military Court sen-
country. Like a new Moses, tenced Bishop Czesław Kaczmarek of Kielce to twelve
Bishop Wyszynski (later years in prison. His conviction was based on charges
Cardinal) will help his com- that the bishop collaborated with the Nazis during
patriots to cross the desert World War II and wanted to overthrow the Communist
of atheistic Communism, government. Many priests were also imprisoned.
supported by the Queen of Arrest
Poland, the Black Madonna
of Czestochowa, who walks at the head of her people On September 25, 1953, during a sermon in the
like a pillar of fire ahead of the Hebrews in the time of Church of St. Anne in Warsaw, Cardinal Wyszynski
Moses. publicly declared that the Church in Poland will always
fight for truth and freedom, and he also publicly ex-
The secular world will try to ridicule the devotion pressed his categorical opposition to the imprison-
of the Poles to the Virgin Mary, asking “Where is your ment of Bishop Kaczmarek by the Communists.
God?” But Mary triumphed, Communism collapsed,
and “the best son of Poland” became in 1978 the Vicar A few hours after Wyszynski’s speech, a group of
of Christ, the first non-Italian pope in 450 years. armed police broke into his residence and took him
to Rywałd, where he was interned. Soon after, the
As Bishop of Lublin, Wyszynski also became the Communist regime imprisoned five other bishops, in-
Grand Chancellor of Lublin’s Catholic University. He cluding Wyszynski’s assistant, Bishop Antoni Baraniak
organized its Faculty of Christian Philosophy and was (later Archbishop of Poznan). The Communists want-
very active in the work of the new Institute of Social, ed to make him the main witness in the trial against the
Economic and Rural Problems. Primate, but neither the prison, nor the mistreatment,
Primate nor the brainwashing attempts succeeded in breaking
After two years of work in the diocese of Lublin, Bishop Baraniak’s iron will. However, he had to pay his
Bishop Wyszynski was appointed, on November 12, loyalty with three years in prison, and his health was
1948, Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Warsaw- compromised.
Gniezno, thus becoming Primate of Poland (and Secret police officers were afraid of the people’s
President of the Polish Bishops’ Conference, a position anger. They secretly arrested the Primate at night.
he held until in 1981), replacing Cardinal Hlond, who The dog guarding the archdiocese office attacked the
had died on October 22. policeman and bit him before the cardinal could grab
The situation of the Church in Poland is then dif- the dog’s collar. The cardinal immediately called a nun
ficult, in the presence of the Communist regime estab- to heal the wound. When asked to pack his suitcase,
lished by force. Archbishop Wyszynski unsuccessfully he refused, saying, “I came to this house poor and I
calls for work to be completed on an agreement with want to leave it poor.”
the government that would respect the rights of the The vows of Jasna Góra
Church. For three years, Cardinal Wyszynski was trans-
In 1952, the Communists began to liquidate young ferred from one place of detention to another, always
theological seminaries and religious novitiates, and in secret. Twenty guards watched him day and night.
created many obstacles to the issuance of permits to The time spent in prison was a period of intense work
build new churches. for Cardinal Wyszynski. He was preparing a special
program for the rebirth of the Polish nation by the
Blessed Virgin Mary. During his meditations in prison,
Make sure MICHAEL moves with you. he recalled many events in Polish history that con-

If you have recently moved, or are about vinced him to choose the Marian path as a pastoral
to, please send your new address in order to ministry program in the future.
save us postage, as undeliverable magazines On December 8, 1953, Cardinal Wyszynski signed
are returned to us and we are required to the final covenant with Our Lady by the consecration
pay extra costs. Thank you. to Jesus through Mary, in accordance with the teach-
ing of Saint Louis-Marie de Montfort. Wyszynski attrib-

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