Christian Responsibility for Fatherland

To the Faithful of the Catholic Church,
to Sisters and Brothers in Christ the Lord, to all people of good will who live on Polish soil.

1. With Christ in the uniting Europe

The current year is and will be filled with events of prime significance for our Fatherland and for each and every one of us. We are making our contribution to the dissolution of the division of our continent, demanding, however, legal guarantees of the status quo arising from the situation following the Second World War. Unrest in this area would not be conducive to the unifying processes.

Poland's entry into the European Union structures has been made possible, among others, thanks to the work of people of profound faith who strive for unity. We wish to thank them all, remembering primarily Holy Father John Paul II. 25 years will have elapsed in June this year since His first pilgrimage to the Fatherland. Politically it was a totally different Poland. Still, the people were and are the same, not fearful of difficult challenges and forever ready to defend truth, goodness and beauty. This is precisely the task that John Paul II has placed before us throughout the quarter of the century of His pontificate: „The integration of Poland with the European Union — he reminded — has been supported by the Holy See from the beginning. The Polish nation's historical experience and its spiritual and cultural wealth can contribute effectively to (...) consolidating peace and security in Europe” (John Paul II, Warsaw, 11 June 1999).

A new challenge, then, lies ahead of us: concern about the spiritual shape of not only our Fatherland, but of the entire Europe — a continent of whose history and culture our nation has been a part of for over a millennium.

2. Unity as the fruit of sacrificial toil

We do not enter the European structures empty-handed. For 15 years we have tried to construct an independent, sovereign and democratic country. This has not proceeded effortlessly and without mistakes. We carry our everyday burdens with difficulty. They are frequently connected with the significant scope of the transformations occurring in virtually all areas of life. We all have demonstrated substantial amounts of patience. More and more often, however, we ask ourselves the following question: are all of those sacrifices, trials and tribulations, especially such as rampant unemployment, the enormous scale of material poverty and social exclusion, or organizational chaos, e.g. in the health service, an inescapable result of the transformations, are rather are they a result of people's thoughtlessness and negligence?

We appeal to state authorities for a good functioning of the justice system so that security may be assured to the people in this vital area of life of the Nation and the State.

It seems that many of the current hardships are a painful effect of a mentality that, rather than for the common good, cares first of all for one's personal or group egoism, resorting to corruption, irresponsibility and arrogance. It has been forgotten that „Public life on behalf of the person and society finds its basic standard in the pursuit of the common good, as the good of everyone and as the good of each person taken as a whole”, while „the exercise of political power should be based on the spirit of service, since it only, together with the necessary competence and efficiency, can make "virtuous" or "above criticism" the activity of persons in public life which is justly demanded by (...) the people” (Christifideles laici, no. 42). The history of states not only in the European context but also on the global scale demonstrates that the democratic system of the exercise of power can prove useful on one condition — if it rests on a strong ethical foundation.

3. Responsibility for one's Fatherland

A number of factors have contributed to the fact that the contemporary generation of Poles is faced with opportunities but also with dangerous temptations which will continue to intensify. And this is not only the temptation of inertia and apathy, withdrawal from the commitment towards the community or the temptation of emigration. There will likewise be numerous politicians who will tempt and beguile with empty promises and false recipes for easy happiness. We must not allow ourselves to be led astray. There is no shortcut which leads to prosperity and social order. The greater the freedom, the greater also the responsibility.

Polish society is faced with great challenges in the perspective of our presence in the European Union. Through the participation in the elections everyone must indicate those persons and political groups which will guarantee prudent and responsible decisions taken for the good of the Nation. This likewise places great demands on the politicians themselves, for whom concern for the well-being of man and for the common good should be the prime goal.

The Church reminds us that we should remember that „not all conceptions of the human person's good have the same value and truth” (cf. Doctrinal Note on some questions regarding the participation of Catholics in political life, 16 January 2003, 2).

4. Ethical dimension of European policy

Addressing members of the European Parliament a few years ago the Holy Father said as follows: „It is my (...) duty to firmly proclaim the truth that if the religious and Christian foundations of culture of this continent were deprived of their influence on the ethics and shape of societies, this would mean not only a repudiation of the entire heritage of European past, but also a serious threat to the dignified future of the residents of Europe; to all of them — believers and nonbelievers” (John Paul II, Speech in the European Parliament in Strasbourg, 11 October 1988).

A successful progress of Europe requires the construction of the civilization of life and love. Still, the dangers, also those in our Fatherland, are enormous. We see the reappearance of the propaganda aiming at killing unborn children and the preparation of educational curricula which contradict parents' rights to bring up their children in the spirit of their own beliefs. This tendency was overcome a few years ago while today, in the name of a distorted vision of progress, it is stubbornly being revived.

Not only Catholics, but also everyone who espouses humanistic and general human values, must not take part in shaping public opinion so that it might be conducive to the violation of human life. Neither can a Catholic support during the election those political groups which promote values which threaten life and the family. The Polish Episcopate protested decisively and will continue to protest against genetic manipulations and the legalization of abortion, euthanasia, and the so-called partner relationships; an attempt to grant such relationships a legal status equal to marriage undermines the very essence of marriage and the family.

5. Participation in the election to the European Parliament as the right and duty

In conclusion, we address all the faithful as well as all people of good will with a heartfelt appeal and encouragement so that they, in the sense of responsibility for the Fatherland and its due place in the consolidating Europe, take part in the upcoming election of our representatives to the European Parliament. We appeal not only for mere participation, but also for the selection of such representatives of the Nation who will be able to act for the good of Poland, Europe, and the Church.

The presence of Christians — Catholics, the presence of persons of high moral integrity and intellectual value in this important assembly is especially essential today, when there are strong tendencies for the elimination of Christian values from the lives of the nations of Europe. „We must not forget— reminds John Paul II — that (...) the rejection of God and His commandments led last century to the establishment of idolatrous tyrannies which promoted the worship of race, social class, state, nation or party, rejecting the worship of the true and living God. It is in light of the tragedies that occurred in the 20th century that we might comprehend that the laws of God and man either strengthen one another or become jointly destroyed” (message of John Paul II addressed to Cardinal Ortas, after: L'Osservatore Romano, 17 December 2000, p. 6).

We appeal especially to young Poles who are our hope so that they enthusiastically participate in the work of creating the countenance of Europe on the basis of Christian values.

We call for the light and strength of the Holy Spirit for all our Compatriots for the upcoming time of the elections and the difficult decisions and — entrusting the future of the Nation to the almighty care of the Queen of Poland and of the patron saints of Poland and Europe — we confer on everyone our pastoral blessing.

Warsaw, 18 March 2004

Undersigned: the Cardinals, Archbishops and Bishops present at the 326th Plenary Assembly of the Conference of the Polish Episcopate

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