Catholicism in Poland is Germanizing. 1 of the main promoters of the fresh model of religion is Fr Grzegorz Strzelczyk from Katowice. He offers Germanic solutions to Poles in the spirit of Pope Francis in matters specified as the function of conscience, knowing of priesthood and ordination of women.
In mid-February I announced in PCh24 my e-book «German Catholicism. Will Poles take over a abroad model of faith?”. It describes a model of “German Catholicism”, that is, the way the Church functions and the experience of faith, which is appropriate for German countries – Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, Luxembourg, formerly besides the Netherlands. The key issue is the German Synodal Way (2019-2026), which sought a thorough restructuring of Catholicism in respective areas: the endurance of priesthood, the function of women, sexual morality, the way in which the Church exercises power.
The basis of the German Synod Way is simply a fresh discipline on the function of human conscience. It was proposed in 2016 by Pope Francis in the adhortation “Amoris laetitia”. This paper went down to past primarily due to the issue of Holy Communion for divorcees, but in fact it is not in this at all its breakthrough. “Amoris laetitia” tries to introduce into the Church a creative imagination of human conscience, which makes deep interpretations of nonsubjective standards of law, applying them in a circumstantial case to different degrees, more or less, depending on the individual decision. This concept has been developed in the past decades in Germany1.
The Catholic Church in Poland has in fresh decades accepted the teaching of the Catholic Church on conscience as St. John Paul II expressed it in the 1993 encyclical Veritatis splendor.
The reception of the Veritatis splendor was, however, isolated in our country: there was no polemic debate with critics of the teachings of Pope Wojtyla. This led to intellectual paralysis and inability to defend conventional discipline in a situation where it was severely threatened by Germanic ethical model included in Pope Francis' “Amoris laetitia”.
For years, I have been betting that the consequence of this paralysis occurs and will proceed the process of Germanization of Polish Catholicism. In addition to adopting the German position on the function of conscience, this besides applies to many another issues, specified as knowing the priesthood and sacraments, which in German Catholicism is mostly perceived by the criticism of Marcin Luther.
I would like to illustrate in this text thesis on Germanization of Polish Catholicism. I will give you an example of Fr Grzegorz Strzelczyk, a priest popular and invited to the media and at various conferences or church meetings.
Fr Grzegorz Strzelczyk – or, as he writes himself, the Presbyter – is simply a priest of the Archdiocese of Katowice. He works at the University of Silesia, where he teaches theology. Since 2023 he has been liable for the formation of the permanent priests of the Archdiocese of Katowice. He is associated with the Prison Laboratory, the monthly “On the Road”, frequently occurs in many Catholic media, specified as the “Deon” portal. He engages in a synodical process and is considered an expert in this field.
Recently a book was published, which Fr Grzegorz Strzelczyk prepared together with Mr Aneta Kuberska. "Church, world, reform. Talks about religion and conscience”, issued by WAM.
Let me give you a fewer quotes below., which, I believe, perfectly illustrate the process of Germanization of Polish Catholicism consisting in accepting the agenda of the German Synodary Way – and above all, in accepting the Germanic imagination of conscience, as Pope Francis gave it in the “Amoris laetitia”.
I point out that it is not my intention to show “mistakes” or “heresies” in priest Grzegorz Strzelczyk. The reader will see for himself how to realize these words from this angle. My aim is to present the applicable consequences resulting from the adoption of the revolution of the conscience of Amoris laetitia and the intellectual influence that the model of German Catholicism exerts on the life of the Church in Poland.
The function of Conscience
Abortion, page 474:
“A fundamental mistake is to ignore the conscience of a peculiar person. This conscience must find itself in a situation of collision of many values. A female who already has 2 or 3 children is faced with the question of whether, risking her pregnancy, she will not deprive the parent of those who live. These are dilemmas that should find the conscience – and that is teaching strictly Catholic: the conscience of a individual is crucial here. And not the law is to form them, but the Gospel."
Euthanasia, pages 477-478:
When asked about the child’s case, who helps his parents to euthanasia by going abroad, he answers: “We return to the question of conscience. Those active in specified situations are in a very akin position: they must make moral judgement and make a decision according to their own conscience. If for many months individual looks at the suffering of a very close individual to whom medicine remains helpless, then he is incapable to exclude this experience from moral evaluation. There is simply a question of greater good or little evil. Again, we return to the criteria and conditions that a individual sees from the position of his conscience. No 1 can make that judgement for her. Hence, the subject of companionship comes again."
Euthanasia, page 482:
“And here we come to the very definition of euthanasia. I always think that if individual asked me to give the substance to a surviving person, knowing that it would shorten her life, even in the name of reducing suffering, I would have a immense problem with that. Even with full awareness of intent. This kind of active action is something that goes beyond the horizon of my moral consent. But I'm not in that position. The experience of workers and chaplains of hospices would have more to say here. And sometimes cinema tries to face the complexity of these dilemmas.”
Contraception, page 437:
"The most crucial thing, however, is that we consider circumstantial circumstances in our conscience. If the method, which in the perfect planet carries out many values, in the real planet is impossible, then the choice of another way – e.g. contraception – cannot be automatically considered a sin. It's missing due to the fact that I know full freedom. In the situations you mention, there is frequently no sin. Or at least there is no dense ch game.”
Homosexualitypage 500:
“If we are dealing with a individual who was born with a homosexual tendency – something unelected, like my heterosexuality – there is simply a question about the end of her freedom. Does the decision to enter a homosexual relation mean full voluntary? And full good liberty, along with consciousness, is simply a condition for considering the act as a dense sin. erstwhile the condition is entirely innocent, this issue is no longer obvious."
Concubinetpage 495:
“This is where the stairs begin. Take the situation of those surviving in a concubinet: they are in a lasting relationship, surviving together, having sexual intercourse, possibly even planning to marry. From the point of view of the explanation which the Church is trying to apply directly, they are in a state of grave sin, from which they do not convert, due to the fact that they do not intend to halt cohabitation."
Changes in Poland, p. 499:
"Theological awareness of the request to discern conscience exists, but barely translates into Polish church discourse. In another places in the world, the attitude to conscience has been much more consistent for years. However, I hope that in Poland besides this will gradually change. Today, the education of priests and confessors is increasingly taking into account these issues, which should be reflected in pastoral practice."
Meaning of ‘Amoris laetitia’page 498:
"This way of reasoning began to change with the pontificate of Pope Francis. In the endorsement of Amoris laetitia (2016), there is simply a clear subject of accompanying people in irregular situations, to the anticipation of sacramental absolution – although this was just placed in the footnote alternatively than in the main text. However, the full section of the paper remains theologically crucial and not overlooked: it is the authoritative teaching of the Catholic Church."
My comment: The creative function of human conscience is evident in these statements. nonsubjective standards, although important, appear to be brought to the function of general guidelines, which, however, request to be applied each time until a circumstantial decision can be straight contrary to an nonsubjective standard. This seems to imply the possible sinlessness of any acts that are objectively grave sins. A peculiar explication of this new, more individualistic knowing of conscience is the passus concerning euthanasia, where Fr Grzegorz Strzelczyk speaks about the passage of euthanasia "beyond [his] horizon of moral consent".
CAPTAIN
The Germanian model of Catholicism does not concern only the question of conscience – these are besides another aspects, specified as the priesthood or the function of women. A fewer remarks by Fr Grzegorz Strzelczyk on this subject.
Female Priesthood, page 312:
“[...] during the pontificate of Pope Francis, a certain “eye” was lifted. It is said that the issue of the women's deaconate remains open. due to the fact that Ordinatio sacerdotalis only concerns the ordination of the presbyterate and bishopric, not the deaconate. And the substance is inactive logically open – this is the consequence of the conclusions of the committee which concluded the work for Pope Leon XIV. And what is interesting: with the argument of Jesus' manhood, the sentences at the vote spread precisely half. He no longer had a majority in the Vatican commission, and the Marian argument was not utilized at all."
The Deacon as a Way to Priesthood of Women, pages 312-313:
Fr Grzegorz Strzelczyk: “If a female can accept any degree of ordination, she is not sacramentally excluded. And since the deaconate gives sacramental character, what theologically prevents the next steps?"
Journalist: “Practicals. In the Latin Church, married men can only be deacons. This is not a theological argument – it is simply a disciplinary one.”
Fr Grzegorz Strzelczyk: “Exactly. And since it is discipline and not doctrine—the window is much wider than it seems.”
He adds: “Traditionalists know that if this 1 point breaks, the full dam will break.”
Priesthood in general, page 181:
"In the fresh Testament, there are persons serving and chairing communities, apostles have authority, but they are not called priests."
Jesus and the Establishment of a Priesthood, p. 188:
"Marcin Luther (1483–1546), following the somewhat abused but crucial slogan of the sol of Scriptura (only Scripture), stated that the sacraments in the strict sense of the word can only be considered what the establishment is clearly certified in the fresh Testament. It is hard to disagree with specified an argument, so Catholics sought – somewhat by force – text Scriptural justifications for each of the sacraments challenged by the Reformation. Today, we are talking about the establishment of the indirect or without the indirect, in the light of the full mystery of the Passover of Christ. But then, in the fire of the polemic, an immediate consequence was needed. It had to be shown that the priesthood besides had its origin in the fresh Testament. This is how the acquainted strategy was born: the Eucharist and the priesthood established on Thursday. Since Jesus said, “Do this in remembrance of me,” it was recognized that at the same time he besides established “chaptership”—because the Eucharist needs individual to do it. However, it should be remembered that theology at the time did not yet have the tools of historical criticism, so this construct – although theologically coherent – is simply a consequence of later reflection alternatively than a evidence of the first tradition."
My comment: In 2024 a book by the German priest Martin Ebner was published in Poland entitled “Does the Church request Priests? A Bible Perspective”, edited by WAM. Ebner puts there thesis that the priest-sacrifice is simply a figure alien to the first Christianity, "has grown" on the body of the Church over the centuries. The German Synodic Way did not accept Ebner in their entirety either, but it accepts the thesis of the historical relativity of the priesthood and attempts to introduce many secular services under the universal priesthood of the faithful. Fr Grzegorz Strzelczyk's thesis seems to be a replication of the Germanic model of Catholicism besides in this respect. In the case of the priesthood of women, the substance is even more apparent – breaking the bond between the priesthood and sex is 1 of the key elements of the German Synodic Way and the standard request of the German progressive movement, repeated in various Germanic countries (also in the US) for decades.
Conclusion
The treatment of Fr Grzegorz Strzelczyk as 1 of the main authorities in matters of synod or moral issues means the essential transplantation of the Germanic model of Catholicism to Poland.
Of course, the phenomenon is much wider than that of only a priest, nevertheless due to the attention given to him in the progressive media, it is he who grows, in order to say, to the importance of the issue. A much larger group of German Catholic adherents could be identified, but smaller with names.
The phenomenon itself is crucial in the sense of content. I encourage readers to read the e-book “German Catholicism. Will Poles accept a abroad model of faith?”. I think it helps to recognise the essence of the difference between the conventional religion of the Church, which most Poles profess – and the fresh model, which is increasingly aggressively nesting in our country.
Paweł Chmielewski
