Problem likwidacji procesji ulicznych w diecezji sandomierskiej w latach 1945-1970

Abstract

Starting from 1949 onward, the communist authorities consequently aimed at eliminating and limiting the scope of street processions outside the church territory. They issued a law on gatherings promulgated on 18lh August 1949. The law read that any processions should rely on a consent from the administrative authorities (in fact the secret police and the communist party). The Corpus Christi processions were an exception from this rule. In this case a consent was not necessary, but only the route of the procession. Even here there were problems. In the beginning of the 1950s processions on the feast of St Mark (25th April), on the Days of the Cross and the blessing of the fields were in principle abolished. The processions to cemeteries on All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day were considerably limited. The authorities managed to belittle the external splendour of the Corpus Christi procession. This policy did not change, in spite of a temporary thaw in October 1956. In 1961 the authorities allowed for a procession during the octave of Corpus Christi. The new law on gatherings of 1963 required that there be a permission to organise a street procession on the feast of Corpus Christi. Procession were pushed to side streets, there members and co-organisers were under surveillance. Special efforts were made to exclude social organisations from processions (firemen, orchestra), clerks and party members. The authorities were very anxious about the decorations of altars, the practice of putting papal flags was consequently eliminated. They organised competitive events which were intended to draw people away, especially children and the youth, from the participation in church festivals.