Kościół i państwo w nauczaniu ks. Jerzego Popiełuszki
Church and State in Fr. Jerzy Popieluszko’s Teaching

Summary/Abstract: This paper addresses the main issues raised by Fr. Popiełuszko in his homilies given in St. Stanislaus Kostka church, located in the Żoliborz district of Warsaw, throughout the Martial Law period in Poland, along with the significant events in his life in the background. The prominent place among these issues occupied the matter of relationship between Church and communist state. While criticising the most dangerous activities of the official authorities, Fr. Popiełuszko was aware of his being exposed to harassment and even to death. At the same time, he hoped that his standing up for the persecuted and imprisoned was somehow complementary to the “diplomatic” activity undertaken by then Church hierarchs and instrumental in exercising his personal pastoral mission. He regarded Holy Masses for the Motherland and for those who suffered for their country as the necessary instrument of influencing social consciousness and the attempt at national reconciliation. From today’s perspective his heroic deeds must be recognized not only as the expression of deep patriotism but also in terms of religious concept of sacrifice.

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