Komisja Charytatywna Episkopatu Polski w stanie wojennym jako główny pośrednik w przekazywaniu zagranicznej pomocy humanitarnej. Przykład województwa katowickiego
Charity Commission of the Polish Episcopate during Martial Law as the Main Distributor of Foreign Humanitarian Aid. The Example of Katowice Voivodeship

Summary/Abstract: Following the imposition of martial law in Poland, societies from 24 countries around the world got involved in the relief effort. For foreign donors, the Catholic Church, which carried out its charitable activities through the Charity Commission of the Polish Episcopate, was a trustworthy institution. The aim of this article is to answer several questions: how did the Charity Commission of the Polish Episcopate manage the distribution of donations intended for the Katowice province? What was the scale of foreign aid provided to the people of the province? Finally, what were the reactions of the beneficiaries to the support received? The choice of the Katowice province was determined by its population and the fact that Katowice was the seat of the Charity Commission of the Polish Episcopate. In 1982, the Diocese of Katowice received nearly 21,000 tonnes of goods to distribute those in need; a year later, it was nearly 7,000 tonnes. Due to a lack of documentation, it is not known how many donations were made exclusively to residents of the Dąbrowa Basin and the Gliwice region. The basic charitable work unit was the so-called Parish Charity Teams. The opportunity to supplement the information on people in need was provided by the 1981/1982 traditional round of visits to parishioners. The attitudes of the beneficiaries of foreign aid varied widely, ranging from gratitude and embarrassment to demanding attitudes and dissatisfaction with the support received.

• Details
• Contents