The article, which we print below, “Polish socialism fights the Church”, was published in the November 1938 monthly magazine “The Knight of the Immaculate” founded by Fr Maximilian Maria Kolbe. "RN" fought socialism in all its forms. He clearly showed that the strategy was not compatible with Catholicism and that it was harmful in all dimension. What a direct language he operated on, without wrapping it in cotton, it could be colloquially said – "He struck consecutive in the eyes!" The article published present shows socialism as a strategy hostile to the Roman-Catholic Church. The text dates from 1938, erstwhile the church hierarchy and individual clergymen were not so steeped in the ideas of the left as they are today, so more clearly, without manipulative soaping, we see the unnaturalness of socialism with the Gospel and conventional teaching of the Church. We ourselves, in retrospect, can measure how much the script of socialists, communists and the remaining left has been implemented. The left-wing strategy is – as you can see – unchanged. possibly showing it through reaching out to old sources will let many of us, including clergymen, to be manipulated by the false imagination of “ecologism”, “equal power”, “fight against poverty”, “the rights of man” etc. to find the right proportions in assessing what GOOD, JUSTICE, AND BEAUTIFUL and what, in fact, WHO, truly leads people to salvation.
Although “The Knight of the Immaculate” had achieved pre-war expenditures, for present-day space, it is not easy to find its old editions. The windstorm has done its job, the remainder makes time... possibly there are old copies of the pre-war Knight in your homes? possibly you have another old Polish Catholic magazines and not just one? possibly you've got them hanging around, throwing them out of the corner, destroying them, and yet getting into a dumpster, or in a furnace? If this is the case, delight send PROKAPA (available at the bottom of the footer) to our archive. More interesting material will be published on the website.
Meanwhile, we invitation you to read the article “Polish Socialism is Marxian” (original spelling).
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Polish socialism fights the Church
In erstwhile reflections on Polish socialism, we found its Marxist character and determined willingness to persist in the indications of the "Communist Manifesto". In this capacity socialism must be absolutely hostile to religion in general, to Catholicism in particular: in order for it to make itself, Catholic religion must fight the most decisively.
Here, however, individual may point out that specified an accusation does not have adequate grounds for not being so unconcerned, or actually does not even deal with spiritual issues, for it is inactive saying its old, programme slogan: “religion is simply a private thing”, proclaims the rule of tolerance and respect for another people's beliefs!
Such a belief meets rather frequently in Polish society, and it is not essential to add that it affects people's opposition to socialist propaganda, that it becomes a gateway through which another errors of materialistic discipline get through.
It must be understood that these seemingly innocent slogans carry the large danger of expropriating the Catholic society from its rights, pushing it into the darkest angle, so that it is safe to remove the mask and show its own godless face. So all that socialists say present about their attitude towards religion and its followers should be considered a transitional tactic, that is, only specified a course that socialism provides comparatively the most benefits as long as it acts in conditions fundamentally hostile to itself, in the atmosphere of Christian culture.
That these slogans of tolerance to people of spiritual convictions, that the basic principle, “religion is simply a private thing” – are just an expression of cunning tactics, can be seen more closely after entering into the activities of the socialist organization.
This and this socialist may indeed trust that his teaching commands him to respect religion and its followers and is personally willing to apply this rule in his life. However, we are not talking about individuals here, but about the full social movement, the direction of its action designated by the leaders.
As far as religion is concerned, I have in head the fact that, in the light of these comments, I have late found myself in full confirmation.
In 1 of the Red Trade Unions in Warsaw at a reading on the issue of spiritual and socialist education, the talker openly acknowledged that what is officially given to the masses was that socialism did not fight religion due to tactical considerations. Socialism and religion exclude each other, there is no and there can be no compromise between Marxist materialism and Christian spiritualism, for the first says: there is no God, the second of God brings everything out, and to God it goes. There's no mediate road. However, not always can socialism – I repeat the thoughts of this talker – openly declare war on religion and all its manifestations. In Christian society, specified ruthlessness would have nothing to gain, due to the fact that religion besides profoundly planted roots in it to be destroyed. This fact must be reckoned with in influencing society and in choosing a way that would not alienate us to socialism, but at the same time seemingly innocently distract them from conventional beliefs. This is how 1 must realize the slogan of tolerance, the slogan “religion is simply a private thing” – this way people's minds will be more effectively mastered and transformed into a socialist prayer, due to the fact that erstwhile these slogans are accepted – they will be overturned by the biggest obstacle: the belief that, in the face of socialism, all believer should take a decisively defensive or at least negative attitude.
Spreading this slogan: “Religion is simply a private thing”, Socialism wants to undo the impact of Christianity on social life in the broadest sense of the term. He wants to instill in people the belief that religion is an expression of closer to the indeterminate needs of human souls, that it is limited to the most intimate, individual dreams and highs—no harm done, until they have an equivalent in social, collective life.
Therefore, the socialist camp is the main patron of all activities that affect the social life of religion as much as possible and this is explained by the fact that it conducts an action to laicise and break up a household by depriving a sacramental character of marriage, that it acts against spiritual schools, that it demands the separation of the Church from the State, that it spreads the action of "conscious motherhood", which in practice becomes a mass execution of the unborn, that it patronises all free-thinking organizations, etc. Many examples can be cited here – rather a review of the socialist press to see for themselves.
What does it gotta say: “Religion is simply a private thing”?
He's got a lot!
According to socialists, it means that “religion does not bring any moral precepts with it, that a individual attitude towards God should not mean accepting certain rules of conduct, that a Catholic in social life should not be restrained by any spiritual motives, for erstwhile he comes into contact with another people, another rights apply to him. Social life is governed by its own, independent from religion, laws, here the "general human" ethics apply, not guaranteed by divine authority.
By preaching this, does socialism truly believe that it is fighting only “claricalism” alternatively than religion itself?
Nope. He can realize the farthest consequences of believing in God: morality is inseparable from religion, it is simply a essential element. But hitting the Christian planet on the part of morality is safer, due to the fact that it allows to hide a godless attitude behind the paraphrase of phrases about humanitarianism, progress, etc.
We say: The tactics of the socialist camp in Poland are moving towards disdaining the clergy, lowering the authority of the Church and weakening moral sense. The aim is to accomplish a simplification in the impact of Christ's teachings on social life, laws and institutions.
One must be very naive to hope to reconcile socialism with Catholicism through common concessions. There is only 1 way to reconcile this: Socialism must renounce all its errors, above all the basis of its view of the world: ungodly materialism, must in another words cease to be socialism. “The conflicting concepts are: spiritual socialism, Christian socialism,” says Pius XI – you cannot be a good Catholic and a actual socialist at the same time.”
Jan Archita
‘Knight of the Immaculate” No. 11 (203), November 1938. first publication on PROKAP 20 XII 2020
