RU 02/2006 - POLAND

- POLAND: Our friend Maciej Giertych - member of the European Parliament, president of the 'Ligue of the Polish Families' Party which participates in the present government, father of the Vice Premier Minister and minister of Education Roman Giertych, and brother of the theologian of the pontifical House Wojciec Giertych - intimated to us his following comment regarding the new ex-archbishop of Varsovia Mgr Wielgus who was dismissed by Benedict XVI the very day of his solemn inauguration, because evidence seems to exist proving his collaboration with the ancient Secret Police: "Archbishop Stanislaw Wielgus is a serious prelate known for his conservative theologic al views... (One must know that) during communist times anybody who was anybody, had to have contacts with the Secret Services. These were necessary when applying for a passport to travel abroad, or when considered for any employment post of substance. Anyone, particularly priests, wishing to build a church or make substantial repairs to a building had to have permits which were dependent on the will of the authorities, and to obtain these permits, contacts with the Secret Services were necessary. Everyone tried to reduce these contacts to a minimum and offered to behave in manner that would not be offensive to the authorities. Thus contacts and some vague promises were the norm and do not disqualify anyone. Of course, the Secret Services tried to enmesh as many collaborators as possible, often using blackmail based on some knowledge about the person concerned. Some people agreed to cooperate. Some signed some document to this effect. Many did so for some current profit (e.g. to obtain a passport), but actually never cooperated. Others did cooperate, filing reports to the Secret Services on issues of interest to them, such as negative information about other people which could be used to blackmail them. It is only the filing of reports that is considered in Poland as evidence of ooperation. Unfortunately, according to the 'Round Table' agreement of 1989, it was decided to keep the secret files closed, and many were or were said to be destroyed. Today those who have access to these documents advertise their knowledge when it becomes politically useful. What has happened is, that while documents may be missing, microfilms of them reappear at most inconvenient moments. From what we know now, Fr. Wielgus when applying for a passport to study in the West in 1973 and 1978, agreed to cooperate and signed some documents to this effect. However, as far as we know, at the moment he did not cooperate. When first news appeared in the media that he had contacts with the Services and later that he signed an agreement to cooperate with them, he denied this. As I see it, he was relying on information he possibly had that his documents were destroyed. Yet microfilms of these documents appeared. He was caught lying... On Jan. 6th, Epiphany, during Mass in all churches of the Warsaw archdiocese, a letter of archbishop Wielgus was read in which he explains all the details of his contacts with the Secret Services. Had he done this a month earlier when his name first appeared in the media as a possible choice for the Warsaw archdiocese, there would have been no issue. However since he first denied contacts, then denied signing anything, his current admissions refer only to things that have already been proven by those who looked into the available evidence (microfilm). There linger doubts that perhaps he did write reports, and these will surface later (e.g. in files of those they concern). His veracity disappeared, and Warsaw is too important a post to have someone with stained authority. The Pope asked him to resign which he did so on Jan. 7th, only moments before his planned inauguration. Of course, the media attacks on him came from the liberal media and liberal journalists. It seems obvious to me that, should a liberal prelate be appointed to Warsaw, no microfilm will appear. This is a serious lesson for the Polish bishops. Everything from the past will surface when it is most inconvenient for the Church. Only truth shall liberate us." End of quotation. -

Short comment: Is Mgr Wielgus more guilty of 'cooperation' than many of our actual bishops in France and Germany? Don't they drink Champaign, all along this month of January, with the most 'abominable' ones (this term has been chosen by Vatican II), those precisely who voted, maintain and aggravate always more the abortion laws, i.e. the assassination of the human beings which are the most weak and helpless ones? Not obscure microfilms, but millions of silent cries which surge to heaven accuse them permanently of 'cooperation'. But in their case, by miracle, nobody cogitates to dismiss them. Why ? - (ru)