I have already written on this website about a very interesting interview that Cardinal Grzegorz Ryś recently gave to the American media.
READ ALSO: Cardinal. Ryś: We Poles are unfair to the Pope. Archbishop in the American media about Poland’s relationship with Francis
A question about politics
Ryś was asked how he responds to the strong political disputes in his country. The cardinal said that Poland is currently terribly divided and he hopes that this will not be the case in the future.
I must say that the current situation is beyond my imagination. Six years ago, when I came to Łódź, I started meetings on Poland and they were open, and the invited panelists usually came from different sides of the political spectrum. The invitation required only two conditions: first, that they were open to dialogue, and second, that they loved their country. That’s all… But six years ago, the division we have now was unthinkable.
After all, the Pope said that polarization is not Catholic
– a journalist from the Jesuit website America later quoted Francis.
But this is clear
– replied the cardinal.
And this is exactly the statement that I have difficulty with. Polarization is not Catholic?
After all, most of Christianity’s history consists of the conflict of its truth about man and life with the world that wants to destroy this truth. I don’t think Jesus was one of those “nice guys” who avoided conflict at all costs. And I don’t think he wants that from his students either.
It is not that a Christian should create conflict because he wants to. NO. The point is that faith in Jesus Christ was, is, and always will be a “sign of opposition.” It is simply in its nature and in its essence.
I understand the cardinal’s motivation. Just as I understand his homily that was delivered the day before yesterday at the grave of Saint. John Paul II when he said that Poles must unite after the “terrible election campaign”.
Is ‘avoiding polarization’ enough?
After all, the calling of the shepherd is to call for true peace and unity in society. The question, however, is whether this true unity can be achieved if we ‘avoid polarization’ at all costs.
And what does ‘avoiding polarization’ mean in this specific Polish case?
Does this mean a silence on who really initiated this rhetoric of vulgarity and hatred towards a political opponent? Silence about the politicians who accepted the hatred erupted by the eight-star symbol? Who agreed that the Western media would ‘satanize’ PiS and its voters and present them as ‘fascists’ and ‘Putinists’. Moreover, it was these Polish politicians who said the same about PiS in international institutions, behaving like, sorry, traitors to their homeland.
READ ALSO: Goran Andrijanić: I observe Polish oppositionists in the European Parliament with sadness and concern
What unity can be built by remaining silent on this subject?
Is this a unity that can only be limited to gatherings of intellectuals in ecclesiastical and cultural salons? The ones the cardinal talked about that don’t actually change anything? Is it worth the silence?
Creating polarization is never Catholic?
I wouldn’t agree with that.
Source: wPolityce