Stowarzyszenie PAX w rzeczywistości PRL-u

Abstract

The PAX association was an organisation of the lay Catholic activists in Poland in the years of 1945-1993. It accepted the socialist political system and defined itself as a „socially progressive movement” In 1993 it was transformed into the Association of Civitas Christiana. The opportunity to accord Catholicism with socialism, or even Marxism, was the Association’s fundamental idea. Its programme advocated collaboration between Catholics and Marxists and worked on making the Catholics in Poland accept the socialist idea. It approved of the leading role of the Polish United Workers’ Party, supported its rule, and engaged on behalf of the popularisation of the party’s policy and the communist rule in Polish society. The association advanced the theory of many outlooks in socialist society. Its activity was based on three premises: Christian outlook, patriotism, and socialism. Bolesław Piasecki played the main role in it and those who belong to the National Radical Organisation „Falanga” before the war and the Confederation of the Nation during the war. In the Polish People’s Republic PAX employed many graduates from the Catholic University of Lublin (now the John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin) and ATK (Academy of Catholic Theology). In the Stalinist period, PAX sough to play the part of a mediator between the communist authorities and the hierarchy of the Church. In January 1950 it collaborated with the authorities in taking over the charitable Catholic organisation „Caritas” It established a Commission of Catholic Intellectuals and Activists. The idea of many outlooks launched by PAX, was viewed by the Episcopate as very harmful for the Church. Against this backdrop, PAX’s commitment on the side of the communist authorities bore often conflicts along the line the Association and the Episcopate. The relations between the Church and PAX improved after Cardinal A. Casaroili’s visit to Poland in 1974. In the same year the Warsaw Curia issued a permit to publish some books in the PAX publishing house. There have been no reciprocal attacks since the end of the 1970s. PAX social and cultural mercenary supported writers, artists, scientists, especially young people. It conducted a thriving editorial activity concentrated on Catholic thought, patriotism, and socialist commitment. It published historical, theological, philosophical, and literary journals and books, prayer books, church songbooks, catechisms, and others.