The Anti-Catholic Action in Poland and its Authors (1947-1956) Cover Image

Akcja antykatolicka w Polsce i jej autorzy (1947-1956)
The Anti-Catholic Action in Poland and its Authors (1947-1956)

Author(s): Bogdan Sekściński
Subject(s): History
Published by: Wydawnictwo Diecezjalne »Adalbertinum«
Keywords: communism; Poland; Catholic Church; persecution

Summary/Abstract: The article investigates the persecution of the Catholic Church in the times of Stalinism, when the political power in Poland was largely centralized in the hands of the Communists of Jewish origin, who were sent by Joseph Stalin from Moscow in order to sovietize Poland. The Catholic Church, which had been defending the sovereignty of Poland for centuries, was treated by Communists as a greatest enemy of their objectives. The article shows the ruthlessness of the Communis regime, whose goal was to weaken the role of the Roman Catholic Church, and to liquidate its leading institutions, such as the Catholic University of Lublin. It concisely presents main assumptions of the “anticlerical action” which was authorized by Hilary Minc and Jakub Berman. The paper contains legal reviews which indicate the illegal behavior of security officers in relation to Catholics, in particular to those of juvenile age. It argues that, with fighting against the Catholicism in Poland, the Communists infringed the law established by themselves. The article is a result of the many months inquiry in several archive institutes in Poland.

  • Issue Year: 14/2012
  • Issue No: 1
  • Page Range: 247-271
  • Page Count: 25
  • Language: Polish