“He Gave the Poles Hope”
In a conversation with the wPolityce.pl portal, a Law and Justice member of parliament framed the unfolding debate as a struggle between civilizations and a political campaign that will be aggressively dirty, targeting values many hold sacred.
A recent cascade of media investigations, a formal report, and a book have all attempted to persuade the public in Poland that Pope John Paul II was not only aware of cases of pedophilia within the Catholic Church but also failed to take decisive action in response.
Why has this line of attack intensified now, and what motivates these narratives around St. John Paul II? PiS MP Robert Gontarz was asked for his thoughts on the matter.
Critics from the opposition, along with outlets like TVN, are accused of leveraging the distance in time since the pope’s death. They allegedly try to remind people of past reverence and question the depth of his impact today. Such efforts, according to the interlocutor from wPolityce.pl, feel outrageous.
Yet, when listeners hear from numerous experts who describe John Paul II as someone who stood with Ronald Reagan to help bring down communism and secure Poland’s freedom, the narrative becomes clearer: the pope played a pivotal role in the nation’s journey toward independence.
The commentator notes that papal pilgrimages to Poland often came at moments when many ordinary Poles could recognize the presence of a broader, shared commitment to a free homeland. For him, John Paul II offered real hope at a critical juncture in Polish history.
– emphasizes MP Robert Gontarz.
“A Certain Form of Civilization Struggle”
The PiS parliamentarian asserts that much of the critique against the Polish pope rests on material from security services and classified documentation. He questions why individuals who frequently rely on communist-era sources present John Paul II in a uniformly negative light, neglecting a fuller truth.
He argues that trusting such sources is unwise, viewing the broader portrayal as part of an ongoing cultural confrontation. The pope is portrayed as a symbol to be undermined, even when his moral authority once stood as a guiding light for countless Poles who faced hard choices.
He stresses that this weather of attacks resembles a civilizational contest and notes that the campaign atmosphere, which he describes as highly partisan, mirrors electoral strategy aimed at discrediting the saints who once inspired so many people.
“This is a form of civilizational struggle, and at the same time an election campaign that will be very dirty, with attempts to undermine the sanctity of the saints,” he states with clear resolve.
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Every ideology, in his view, targets the Church using similar methods. The question remains: who will be the next figure after John Paul II to be cast as a target? Will there be a series about the “deceiver of Nazareth”?
An Organized Campaign
Some Poles remember the day John Paul II was elevated to the papacy, his many pilgrimages, and the pope’s departure, while others recall only the day of his death. A new generation also grew up with little memory of the pope’s early life, and some who were very young when he led the church can hardly recall the emotions and the moral authority he represented for the world.
When examining how the pope came under attack, the initial tactic appeared not to question his personal character as much as to ridicule him. The pope was subjected to memes that sought to strip away the sacred aura that surrounded him.
According to Gontarz, once this tactic succeeded in diminishing the sanctity, the next phase followed. If the pope could not defend himself after his death and nearly two decades had passed since his passing, a new generation would be less familiar with those times and less inclined to grasp the immense moral leadership he offered the global community.
He underscored that the pope stood as a moral authority and a leader beyond religious lines.
– indicates.
John Paul II as Polish Ambassador
What stands out in the current line of critique is the paradox: many politicians, journalists, and public figures who once paid tribute to John Paul II and spoke of his influence now readily attack him. They recalled pilgrimages, mourned the pope, and participated in ceremonies connected with his canonization, yet today they question his legacy.
One clear takeaway is that for some politicians nothing is sacred; they adjust their stance to align with current polling. But for the younger generation, John Paul II remains a towering moral figure and a lasting symbol of national dignity.
– says Robert Gontarz.
He adds that the pope’s international impact, including discussions with figures like Joe Biden during meetings about Polish affairs, demonstrated the pope’s role as a steadfast ambassador for Poland and a guardian of the nation’s interests.
Experts note that along with Ronald Reagan he helped forge tacit diplomacy that enabled Poland to break free from communist rule. Still, today there are voices that selectively quote or downplay those achievements to cast doubt on the pope’s legacy.
– concludes the PiS MP.
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– It is troubling to see how discussions about church matters sometimes drift into reporting that breaches basic journalistic standards
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Source: wPolityce