President of the Polish Bishops' Conference at Jasna Gora: We need to stand up for our Christian identity
It is necessary to defend our Christian identity, the sovereignty of our conscience, our thinking and freedom in professing our faith, to defend the values flowing from the Gospel and our Christian tradition – said the President of the Polish Bishops' Conference Archbishop Tadeusz Wojda SAC in his homily during the Holy Mass celebrated at Jasna Gora on May 3, the Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Queen of Poland.
The President of the Polish Bishops' Conference Archbishop Tadeusz Wojda SAC presided over Holy Mass at #JasnaGora on the Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Queen of Poland. The Eucharist was concelebrated by representatives of the Polish Episcopate. pic.twitter.com/HTzN1b2kNg
— Church in Poland (@ChurchInPoland) May 3, 2024
The President of the Polish Episcopate pointed out that "we see more and more strongly the weakening of faith in our nation, the careless abandonment of the Sunday Eucharist and the sacraments". "We observe a lack of solid transmission of faith in families. Secularisation is taking its toll, no longer only among adults, but also among children and young people. The sense of the need to strengthen marital relationships through the sacrament is weakening. Moral attitudes contrary to the Gospel and Christian teaching are spreading. We are tired of the resulting social tensions, divisions and quarrels. We are saddened and alarmed by the fact that in recent years so much hatred, we say nowadays: hate speech, the stirring up of bad emotions and even violence, has emerged in our society" – he said.
Archbishop Wojda admitted that "it is alarming that we, the people of Mary, are losing awareness of our Polish tradition and culture, filled with a Christian attitude of openness and respect for others, sensitivity to the gift of human life". He added that we need a Christian identity "so that we do not fall into existential emptiness and lose the hope of life. We must not allow ourselves to be deprived of this inner power, the source of which is in Mary's Son Jesus Christ".
"It is necessary, therefore, to preserve this identity, because it gives us a sense of connection with God. Through this, our awareness deepens that human life has a unique value and that no one is allowed to annihilate it, even if it is imperfect. Life from conception to natural death remains a place of dialogue between man and God" – the President of the Polish Episcopate noted.
Archbishop Wojda pointed out that "it is unacceptable to demand a +right to abortion+, that is, an actual right to kill. No one has the right to kill another human being, all the more so when it is a defenceless, innocent child" – he stressed.
The President of the Polish Episcopate acknowledged that today Mary also stands before us as Queen "to support us in facing social and national problems wisely and prudently". "She teaches us to respect democracy based on truth, oriented towards the objective good in the spirit of Christian culture and tradition" - he pointed out.
He added that the Christian is always the evangelical leaven of a new good, a new breath of the spirit. "According to one's condition, capabilities, vocation, therefore, one must take up with courage the challenges that appear before us. We must stand up for our Christian identity, for the sovereignty of our conscience, our thinking and our freedom to profess our faith, for the values flowing from the Gospel and our Christian tradition. It is necessary to stand up for our religious convictions, respect for religious feelings, catechism classes in schools, which is not only teaching about God, but formation for values, for respect for the good and culture of our society" - he assessed.
Archbishop Tadeusz Wojda SAC at #JasnaGora: It is necessary to defend our Christian identity, the sovereignty of our conscience, our thinking and freedom in professing our faith, to defend the values flowing from the Gospel and our Christian tradition.https://t.co/A7oCB0uBY2 pic.twitter.com/bqRUPuLQY6
— Church in Poland (@ChurchInPoland) May 3, 2024
The President of the Polish Bishops' Conference also recalled that with this year's Paschal Triduum we have begun a nine-year novena before the jubilee of the two thousandth anniversary of the work of Redemption. "Let us make this effort, let us make a personal plan for renewal through prayer, the sacraments, the Word of God, spiritual pilgrimages and other initiatives. Let us ask Mary's support so that the effort of this renewal will bear much good fruit for personal well-being, the well-being of our families and our society" - he encouraged.
Press Office of the Polish Bishops’ Conference
