The Press MONDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1966. Church And State In Poland

Press, Issue 30996, 28 February 1966, Page 12

The Press MONDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1966. Church And State In Poland

The revised Polish Constitution of 1952 promised freedom of religion and recognised the separateness of Church and State. Freedom, however, is apt under communism to be a word of very limited meaning. In Poland the Church is currently being made aware that its freedom to have views on political problems is very much subject to qualification. Last November, Poland’s 36 Roman Catholic bishops, through their Primate, Cardinal Wyszynski, issued an invitation to the West German bishops to visit Poland, with church leaders from other countries, for the celebration next May of the millennium of Polish Christianity. The invitation had political implications to the extent that it raised once more the question of the inviolability —in the Polish view—of the Oder-Neisse frontier and asked for mutual “forgiveness” between Germans and Poles. The Government angrily rebuked the bishops for meddling in politics and indicated that it had no intention of permitting any “dialogue” between the Polish and German churches which might reopen the frontier controversy. The immediate official outcome of the invitation was a refusal to allow Cardinal Wyszynski to visit Rome on January 13 for celebrations there in connexion with the Polish anniversary. At the same time the Communist Party leader, Mr Gomulka, answered a statement by the defiant Cardinal that the Church in Poland would continue to confirm its presence “as the bulwark of Christianity in the “ Catholic and Christian world ”, beyond which there was nothing but “ godless atheism and communism Mr Gomulka’s retort was that, for the Polish people, there could be no question of reorientation with the West. The Catholic Church in Poland, he added, would continue to have freedom to function and to express opinions—“ provided they are consistent with “ the policy of the Government ”. Now the attack on the Church, originated by Mr Gomulka and carried on through the party-controlled press, is being seen as a preliminary to the denial of an official invitation to Pope Paul to attend the May ceremonies at Czestochowa. Pope Paul, who is understood to have encouraged the exchange of letters between the Polish and German bishops, would no doubt like to visit Poland for the unique millennium occasion and as a means of broadening the scope of his campaign for world peace. Pope Paul wants the Church in Poland to have more freedom—the substance of it rather than the shadow. His presence at Czestochowa would undoubtedly strengthen Polish Catholic unity enormously and might have, for the Government, disturbing political implications. The Government revealed its thinking by its summary withdrawal of Cardinal Wyszynski’s diplomatic passport last month, deliberately sharpening the conflict between Church and Party. There will be little cause for surprise, therefore, if it decides that a papal visit in present circumstances would not improve relations between Church and State.