Parish of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Szczawa. It is simply a village about half an hr from Limanowa in Małopolska. Sunday, May 25th.
In pastoral announcements, the priest recalls that next Sunday in Poland there will be a second circular of presidential elections. Then he points straight to 1 candidate and discourages another. Let's quote the full thing, due to the fact that I think it's a national phenomenon.
“A Christian can only vote with a clear conscience for a candidate who does not declare opposition to God’s law. On the basis of individual declarations of both candidates, the only 1 who meets this criterion is Karol Nawrocki – the faithful heard.
And then...
It's an utmost case. But throughout Poland, priests appeal to participate in elections or just remind that they will be held. They don't give names, they don't propose any party. However, any people do it so that no 1 has any doubts about who they are.
– Today, too, we will decide whether we will stand for Poland or Germany. The Lord with you! – so on May 18th, the priest in Ostrów Wielkopolski finished his morning mass and caused a storm. The country ran its first circular of presidential elections. The bishop wrote about the case and behind it another media.
That day – and besides before and after him, due to the fact that this was besides the case last Sunday – more priests in Poland referred to presidential elections in their parishes. Many appealed to Catholic responsibilities, morality, conscience, and teachings of the Church. But any of them couldn't aid but think about who to vote for.
Here's what this "agitation" looked like in churches before the first circular of presidential elections. If it's right before two, we'll see.
"A man of religion should vote for a candidate who..."
We're looking at the May 18 parish announcements. And we find, among another things, these:
"Today's presidential election. It is our Christian and civilian work to vote. A believer should vote for a candidate who professes Christian and patriotic values."
Or this:
And here's one, besides from the first circular of elections:
In turn, a week earlier, the parish in the village of Wysła turned to the faithful:
"Next Sunday, a very crucial presidential election. The Catholic cannot vote for a candidate who is for killing unborn children or wants to expel God from social space."
Prof. Obirek: "The church has always done so"
And this is only a tiny part of the pre-election and electoral guidelines that went to the parishioners before the first circular in the form of prafial announcements. There's quite a few them in different forms. Let's repeat – no names, no organization names. Safe, though in the silence of the election. But who's gonna guess, right now, knows who it is.
"Let everyone talk according to their conscience, bearing in head dignity, but besides moral and economical order in our homeland. Let concern for human life talk in us, for freedom to preach the gospel and for designation of the crucial function of the Church in Poland. Let us remember that this is about the future of Homeland" – it is 1 of the parishes in Lublin, announcements, besides on May 18.
The church has always done so. This is simply a strategy that has always been present in this institution. I don't see anything fresh about that. The question is why the state authorities that are doing this are not aware of the apparent interference of the various parishes liable for what is said or written in their churches. And that it is not reported as an apparent violation of election silence. And why people present in the church, knowing the applicable law, do nothing about it – commented in a conversation with prof. Stanisław Obirek, a well-known theologian.
He admits, however, that the problem is not so apparent due to the fact that the name is not given. And he adds:
– The Church does not care about the government in force in Poland. It's a country. This is no extraordinary act of disobedience or rebellion. The parishioners who do so – and there are many of them – believe that they have a sacred right under the coat of protection of Catholic values indicate clearly the candidates who have these values entered, if not in their own way, in the programs preached," he says.
Let us look further into the parish announcements...
"To choose a individual to defend the sanctity of life from conception to natural death..."
18 May parish in Lower Injections:
"We have an crucial presidential election ahead of us. As believers, we have a moral work to go to elections to choose according to religion and conscience a individual who will defend the sanctity of life from conception to natural death; matrimony as a union of man and woman; defending children from demoralization, respecting religion and the holy cross. Let us remember that for each of our choices we are liable to God for the destiny of the Church and Homeland!".
Yesterday the same words were repeated there, only the beginning was changed: "In a week an crucial event for our lives and homeland, presidential elections. As believers we have a moral duty..."
On 18 May the parish in Hajnówka posted specified a post:
"Today's presidential election in our homeland. In these days the destiny of Poland and Poles is decided for long years. Will we stay as Poland and Poles, or will we vanish from the map of Europe and the world? Will we inactive be guided by patriotism and surviving religion in God these days? May the decision of Poles for us and our Homeland bring joy and hope. Let us pray for Poland and the fresh president".
Some cleric messages can be received in a ambiguous way. Like this...
"For individual this may be a reason that he will halt going to church"
Fr Przemysław Śliwiński, spokesperson for the Archdiocese of Warsaw, comments that there is no public voice of the Church, no names are given and this is positive. But he doesn't think a priest should let you know who he's voting for or whether he's voting at all. And his priesthood doesn't service to advance a peculiar party.
– If there was a priest in Warsaw who would so powerfully propose who to vote for, that everyone would know who he was talking about, half of his parishioners would be in favour and half against. For people, this may be any kind of argument for weakening the relation with your own parish priest. The parish priest, as a shepherd, is to unite. He in his church may have supporters of two, three, 4 candidates and should not be a sign of division among the parishioners. Only a sign of unity – he says in a conversation with Temat.
– It may be that any candidates are closer to the teachings of the Church and others further. However, the pastoral function of the priest is not to communicate it, due to the fact that he may lose something else that may be more crucial to his ministry. So it is not worth encouraging directly, due to the fact that it may be counterproductive for the pastoral ministry – he adds.
The effect can so be the opposite.
– For someone, that could be a reason why they halt going to church. These situations happen. The priest should show further position and wisdom – he says.
Above all, encourage participation in elections.
On 5 May, the Episcopate issued a communication on this matter. It reads that the hierarchs encourage as many participation as possible in the presidential elections "so as to publically and responsibly indicate a individual worthy of this politically crucial position." It was besides recalled that Catholics, "as well as those who are at the heart of the Homeland's welfare, should follow principles in their electoral act that make individual and social life dignified and happy."
– The incentives to participate in the election by priests are absolutely fine. Priests may besides callback the position of the Episcopate. There has been a Catholic election vademecum for a long time. This is an crucial summary of the criteria that should be a sign for Catholics. I don't see anything incorrect with that. If individual wants to usage it, he has a choice – adds Fr.Sliwiński.
These are the criteria found in this vademecum. According to them, Catholics, among others:
stand unconditionally on the side of the right to life from conception to natural end
with equal determination they search to defend the rights of the family, based on monogamous matrimony of the other sex.
guarding their parents' primacy in raising their children
defends freedom of conscience and spiritual freedom, which is “the heart of human rights
They argue building the planet "as if there was no God"
are committed to the interior and external peace, which is the primary condition for the accomplishment of the common good
"Participation in elections is the moral work of a Catholic conscience"
How do priests appeal to participate in elections in accordance with Episcopal guidelines? Different. But the consequence is definitely huge. You can consider – praise for it, due to the fact that any encouragement to get off the couch and go to the urns is on the weight of gold. Even more so, if any of them do it purely in information.
"Today's presidential elections are encouraged to participate in elections – essential proof", "Today's presidential elections are held. We encourage you to participate", "Today the election for president is held between 7.00-21.00," "Today's presidential election", "Let's go to elections" – so on May 18 a immense part of the parish addressed the faithful.
Some appealed to the obligation: "Let's go and give our voice in the exercise of our citizens' right", "We encourage to participate and to fulfill our patriotic duty", "Vote is our moral work and expression of work for Poland and its future", etc., etc.
And any to Catholic consciences and to follow the Gospel, Decalogue and Social Teaching of the Church:
"Participation in elections is the moral work of a Catholic conscience".
"This work stems from the Church's social discipline of co-responsibility for Homeland".
"The moral work of all actual believer is to participate in the socio-political life of our Homeland".
"Our work as Catholics and citizens is to take part in them and vote for liable president of Poland".
Examples can be multiplied. Is it good that priests are so appealing to participate in elections?
Priest: – We are from preaching the Gospel. Priests shouldn't be in charge of elections.
Fr Radosław Rakowski, parish priest of Poznań Latin, thinks it is good that specified incentives are. And besides that 1 can besides say to choice candidates who represent Christian attitudes. But not necessarily specified encouragement should flow from priests.
– They should strive for 100% of people to go to elections. But should priests do it? There are lay people in the parish. There are different organizations and associations. Priests don't gotta talk about everything in the world. They don't even gotta encourage elections. A lay individual can do it at Mass – he points out.
Is that what priests do? Why are any so emphasizing who to vote for?
– In Poland we do not make civilian society. And the Church, in effect, contributes to this. As priests, we want to influence all area of life all the time, on the rule that: "Humanity does not know, we must make a decision for it". By not accepting that democracy involves that we can make incorrect decisions. quite a few priests don't understand. He looks like he's violent. That we gotta decide, point the finger. And I miss this a small bit, that we do not want to form attitudes, but we think that the planet is forming because, for example, we will force any kind of bill – says Fr Rakowski.
And two, in his opinion, is knowing concordat.
We priests do spiritual things. We are from preaching the Gospel. Priests shouldn't be in charge of elections. Kind of like a royal household in England that doesn't talk at all on political topics, but serves the community. It's the same with priests. I can discuss this privately with my sister. But erstwhile I walk into the pulpit and I'm a priest, I form attitudes. And I don't form who to vote for," he says.
He adds: "Jesus clearly says, "Give back to the emperor what is imperial, and we are dealing with the Kingdom of God." We are active in shaping society in general. Not whether we win or lose this election.
"Where people go to church, they vote according to local priests' instructions"
How can specified an "examinate" agitation behind a candidate who will defend Christian values be translated into real support for him, especially now, in the second round?
It's hard to say. On the 1 hand, it is the interference of a spiritual organization in the political debate, and on the another hand, according to the latest social trends, this organization loses its importance, as it goes to the Church below 30 percent of Poles," noted Prof. Obirek.
However, as he adds, after the first circular of elections, we can see that where people go to the Church, we have support for right-wing candidates and extremist right-wing candidates.
– In a sense, this translates into the consequence of the vote – where people go to the Church, there they vote according to the instructions of local priests – says Prof. Obirek.
