During a spontaneous speech, which took place on 22 March 2023 during the inauguration of the Polish thought Club in Krakow, Prof. Anna Raźny, speaking about the dramatic socio-political situation in the modern world, referred to the relations of Poles and the Catholic Church, in the context of the war in Ukraine.
She pointed to pejorative terms directed at peace supporters. The anti-fragicides of the Slavic War in Ukraine in Poland are stigmatized as “Russian onus”, “Russian troll” etc.
Solidarity and Liberation Theology
Without getting into the details of this excellent occurrence (nota beneavailable on YouTube), I would point to the key to the sources of this dramatic state of affairs. It is not only at the heart of the Church's social teaching, but is in practice at the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries.
The first issue is the question of liberation theology. The Pope – John Paul II supported Solidarity in Poland. That doesn't require proof. At the same time, it effectively suppressed akin grassroots movement in Latin America (see the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith, Instructions on certain aspects of liberation theology, Rome, August 6, 1984, on the Day of the Transfiguration).
No more "fair war"
The Catholic Church's attitude to the alleged righteous war is besides interesting. In the encyclical Fratelli tutti, the Pope referred to her Francis abandoning the Catholic Church's further acceptance of the concept of "a just war". By the way, from 11 to 13 April 2016 the Pontifical Council "Iustitia et Pax" and the Catholic Peace Movement Pax Christi global held a conference in Rome on the issues of fair peace. Its participants in the final message asked Pope Francis to abandon the explanation of the "righteous war".
I would like to mention that the American air bombing of the erstwhile Yugoslavia in the late 20th century, as well as the US military operation in Afghanistan launched in October 2001, is 1 of the “wars of the righteous”. This could be heard from recognized Catholic moralists.
Polish flag as proof of being a “union”
The relativism indicated above had and has a crucial impact on human mentality.
Since the launch of a peculiar military operation in Ukraine in the Polish media, politicians, journalists, etc. have demonstrated in a visible place the worn ribbons in the colours of the Ukrainian flag. As a sign of support for Ukraine. In consequence to this kind of demonstration I wear a ribbon in the colours of the Polish flag... Thus demonstrating the superiority of Polish national interests in Poland. Enjoying my Polishness, my Polish background. This put me at hazard for the epithet of the “Russian onus”, due to the fact that I categorically refused financial support by young Ukrainians gathering for war in Poland, for the Ukrainian army. They could not realize that I, as a Pole, would not throw myself into this war that I am opposed to. For I am aware of the effects of an influx of Ukrainians from the war in Ukraine. This is just the beginning, our problems...
Eugeniusz ZinkiewiczIt is not in the Polish national interest to enrich Poland with millions of refugees from the East. I'm peculiarly afraid of those guys being pushed out by the Russian army. Well trained and well armed. Confessors of an ideology known to me – spread in their ranks.
Eugeniusz Zinkiewicz
