In October 1939, Army Bishop Józef Gawlina arrived in France. A few days earlier, he had received official confirmation from Pope Pius XII of his pre-war assignment to organize military pastoral care. At that time in Paris, the head of the Polish pastoral ministry was Fr. Franciszek Cegiełka. This article addresses the issue of their mutual cooperation. It discusses the reasons for conflicts and rivalries between these two ambitious, intelligent and zealous priests. It also reveals Cardinal Hlond’s role in the dispute between the two clergymen.
