We cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard. Acts 4:20
Jerzy Popieluszko (1984)
Atheist Authorities
Many people came to listen to Polish priest Jerzy’s powerful sermons which demonstrated that his aim was “to include God in the difficult and painful problems” of their country at a time of Communist rule. His sermons were, unsurprisingly, very unpopular with the atheist authorities and he was accused of political activity and inciting people to violence.
Several attempts were made to silence Jerzy; he was followed, he was not allowed a passport to travel outside Poland and his car was smeared with paint. But it was not until a December night in 1982 when a brick with a detonator was thrown into the room next to his bedroom that Jerzy realised the danger he was in. The authorities stepped up the pressure, threatening him with legal action. An investigation was made into his alleged “abuse of freedom of conscience and religion”; between January and June 1984 he was interrogated 13 times. Charges brought against him on 12 July 1984 were later suspended.
Aware that his life was under threat, Jerzy said, “Even if I am afraid, I cannot act otherwise. In fact I’d only be afraid if what I was doing was wrong … and then we always live with the risk of death. If we must die, it is better to meet death while defending a worthwhile cause.”
On 13 October an attempt was made on his life when a man stepped out into the road and tried to throw something at his car, but failed. Nearly a week later Jerzy was kidnapped by agents from the Ministry of Interior in Bydgoszcz, northern Poland, while he was driving back to Warsaw. He tried to escape but was beaten very severely. Finally on 19 October Jerzy was bound and thrown into a reservoir with sacks filled with stones tied to him. Between 300,000 and 350,000 people attended his funeral, highlighting the impact his life had made in Poland.
So when people suffer and are persecuted the Church also feels the pain. The mission of the Church is to be with the people and to share with their joys and sorrows… To serve God is to seek a way to human hearts. To serve God is to speak about evil as a sickness which should be brought to light so that it can be cured. To serve God is to condemn evil in all its manifestations… All who cause pain and suffering to their brothers are fighting against what Christ died for on the Cross… Through Christ’s death and resurrection the Cross – a symbol of disgrace – became a symbol of courage, virtue, help and brotherhood. In the sign of the Cross we embrace today all that is most beautiful and valuable in man. Through the Cross we go on to resurrection. There is no other way. And therefore the crosses of our country, our personal crosses and those of our families, must lead to victory, to resurrection, if we are united with Christ who conquered the Cross.
Extracts from sermons by Jerzy Popieluszko (1984)