John Paul II remains a reference point for many Poles. The cynical manipulation of this figure in political campaigns should be condemned by the Church and by everyone who wants John Paul II to continue to be seen as a significant part of Poland’s history, said Warsaw Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski (KO).
Trzaskowski was asked on Polsat News whether he would back a resolution defending the good name of Saint John Paul II. A KO member, Joanna Fabisiak, voted in favor, while 125 KO delegates did not participate in the vote.
Let’s begin with the most important point. There is no doubt in his mind that without John Paul II, Poland would not have achieved freedom.
– he asserted.
Yet he added that the task of explaining difficult chapters of church history, such as cases of pedophilia, should fall to journalists and historians, not politicians.
The president of the capital emphasized that one can view John Paul II as a model of political virtue while also voicing critical concerns about certain actions within the Church. He argued that today’s political climate, including slogans intended to defend the papacy, risks deepening divisions and could lead to a reevaluation of John Paul II that differs markedly from the past.
The concern is real. John Paul II is a touchstone for many Poles, and the cynical use of his name in electoral campaigns should be condemned by church leadership and all who want him to remain a key historical figure, Trzaskowski said.
He warned that a knowingly opportunistic right-wing campaign could have the opposite effect, intensifying divisions rather than healing them.
Trzaskowski underscored that to avoid deep division, rhetoric must not inflame passions on either side. He also stated that it is hard to imagine changing the names of streets or schools named after John Paul II, and suggested that proposals by activists on the left to remove monuments would only deepen a rift and trigger a lasting split among the public.
Invitation from the US ambassador
The Warsaw mayor also described the invitation from the U.S. ambassador to the State Department, following a TVN24 report about John Paul II, as an outright mistake and scandal.
In his view, PiS is harming Poland’s position. He argued that, thanks to civic action, the policies of Andrzej Duda, and the united stance of the opposition, Poland now speaks with a single voice on Ukraine and has built a strong relationship with the United States. He contended that PiS is jeopardizing this progress.
The Sejm had passed a resolution defending the good name of Saint John Paul II, condemning what it called a hostile media campaign against him in response to the report aired on March 6 by TVN24. The program, titled Franciszkowska 3, examined what Karol Wojtyła, then a Kraków metropolitan and later Cardinal, knew about clerical abuse cases between 1964 and 1978. It highlighted three priests, Bolesław Saduś, Eugeniusz Surgent, and Józef Loranc, and the response of the Kraków archbishop at the time. The report quoted Ekke Overbeek, the Dutch journalist and author of the book Maxima Culpa: What the Church Is Hiding About John Paul II, as part of its narrative, which sparked public debate. (Source attribution: wPolityce)
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Source: wPolityce