Polonia Semper Fidelis, a campaign initiated by laypersons, was a great organisational success. Within a short time, an appeal to defend the indissolubility of marriage was supported by over 145,000 persons. As previously announced, the gathered letters were submitted to the office of the Conference of the Episcopate of Poland.
Representatives of the Father Piotr Skarga Institute submitted over 145,000 signatures
gathered under the Polonia Semper Fidelis campaign to the office of the Conference of the
Episcopate of Poland. This is the voice of the laypersons who made a filial request to bishops
for confirmation of the permanency of the teaching of the Church about the indissolubility of
marriage. Parcels along with letters of support were handed over to Rev. Przemysław Drąg –
Director of the National Centre for Pastoral Care of Families at the Conference of the
Episcopate of Poland.
Wesprzyj nas już teraz!
Rev. Drąg expressed his gratitude to the Father Piotr Skarga Institute for its initiative and to
all signatories for their participation in the campaign. – I think this is tremendously important
in these days, when there have been attempts to interpret in various ways the Pope’s text
about the Holy Communion for persons who live in a new relationship after the break-up of
their sacramental marriage – he stressed.
The priest of families appreciated the mobilisation of laypersons in the Church in Poland,
their conscious involvement in the life of the Church, the public expression of faith and
support for pastors in connection with the campaign. ‘In this way, this community of the
faithful – laymen and pastors – feels more united and encouraged. These signatures have their
own gravity, and I felt this on my hands,’ said Rev. Drąg.
He noted that the voice of lay Catholics would certainly spread out into the world. Because it
shows that Poland is not ashamed of its Christian roots, that Poles want to live in marriage
and family in accordance with the teaching of Christ and that building a normal marriage
based on a man and woman is a great virtue and source of happiness for them.
An expression of concern, care and support The Polonia Semper Fidelis campaign arose out of the kindness of the heart and great care for the fate of the Church and its traditional Teaching. Concerned about news coming from the West, laypersons wanted to support Polish bishops, hoping that they would stand up for the Church’s 2,000 – year teaching about the indissolubility of the sacrament of marriage.
– It is not an attempt to exert pressure or enforce bishops’ opinion, but a filial request.
A request made by children to their parents, their fathers, that they stand up for sacramental marriage and the Catholic family. We hope for this. And this is also what Catholics outside Poland expect; we receive many such voices of hope that our pastors will be those who give testimony in response to designs on the sacred institution of marriage and in the face of a massive attack on the family – said Sławomir Skiba, a member of the Management Board of the Father Piotr Skarga Institute.
He noticed that this issue strongly affects laypersons living in sacramental marriages. ‘This is
why we feel obliged to take action and urged by Providence to bravely defend the marriage
and family and to support our Pastors, who, as we trust, will also assume this position –
faithful to the Gospel and the eternal teaching of the Church,’ he added.
This support may prove particularly important because the Polish Episcopate is still working
on the interpretation of the apostolic exhortation Amoris Laetitia. The faithful believe that
Polish Pastors will not yield to the modernist fashion and will refuse to accept the admission
of divorced persons living in new relationships to the Holy Communion in spite of their
persistence in sin.
Unfortunately, such progressive interpretations of the papal document have already been
made in some countries, such as Germany. For this reason, the faithful considered it necessary
to give testimony and to show hierarchs that they are not alone and can count on strong
support in their fight for the permanency of the Teaching.
Over 145,000 proofs of support for bishops, most of them gathered by traditional mail within
only a few weeks, are only a small but tangible sample of the power existing within the Polish
Church. And, as disciples of Saint John Paul II, hierarchs certainly feel particularly responsible for the future of the Church – for its sanctity, the permanency of its Teaching and its universality.
– In this particularly difficult situation being experienced by Christian marriages and families, the absence of an official document confirming clearly the Church’s position expressed so far on the aforementioned issues, for example by the Holy Father John Paul II in his exhortation Familiaris Consortio, contributes to a growing number of doubts and deviations from the centuries-long teaching and practice with regard to the sacrament of marriage and the Eucharist – stress the authors of the appeal addressed to His Excellency Archbishop Stanisław Gądecki, the chairman of the Conference of the Episcopate of Poland.
– Bearing in mind the firm position of Polish bishops, who bravely stood up for the teaching of the Church and the spiritual heritage of the Polish Pope during synods devoted to the family, I expect with love and trust the confirmation of this teaching by the Conference of the Episcopate of Poland – we can read in the letter of laypersons.
Remember: Polonia Semper Fidelis – Poland always faithful!
