Reakcje mieszkańców Pomorza i Kujaw na porwanie i śmierć ks. Jerzego Popiełuszki w świetle dokumentów SB

Abstract

The death of Father Jerzy Popiełuszko in October 1984 had far-reaching repercussions all over Poland. News of the abduction and murder of the priest, who was the chaplain of Solidarity Movement, circulated widely among offices, schools and church communities. At that time Polish people already knew that the communist secret police not only maintained constant surveillance over the opposition, but also eliminated those who courageously resisted the regime. Never before, however, had the Ministry for Internal Affairs officially acknowledged this. Now for fear of loss of power and another wave of strike actions and protests, the authorities decided to go public with the names of those held responsible for the murder. The clergy in Bydgoszcz and elsewhere in Poland were devastated by the tragic news, but despite the general feeling of intimidation since martial law proclamation, they frequently brought up the murder in their sermons, thus causing anxiety and irritation among secret police officers. The autumn of 1984 bore witness to a considerable increase in illegal distribution of pamphlets, posters and slogans that referred to the kidnapping of Father Jerzy Popiełuszko. Statistics held by the communist secret police demonstrate that the amount of so-called written hostile propaganda was much higher than soon after martial law proclamation. During All Saints’ Day celebrations, mission crosses in many graveyards were covered with slogans, a testimony to widespread public outrage at the priest’s barbarous death. The number of people attending holy masses for the homeland began to soar. That period also saw general interest in various performances of poetry and music held in churches.