Abstrakt: | Project titled ‘Polonia Restituta. The Decalogue for Poland on the 100th Anniversary
of Independence’ is intended by its authors – the Ministry of Science and
Higher Education and the Council for Social Affairs of the Polish Episcopal Conference
– as a thought about the future of our Homeland and State, about ‘how
Poland should look like’. It should be a thought from a clearly defined perspective
of Catholic social science, that is a theo-logic perspective. The Minister explains:
we need ‘an in-depth reflection on where we are going to and what for, what values
should accompany our collective life, what values we should use as the basis to
restructure our state’. And later: since ‘the role of the Catholic church is unique
and incomparable with any other institution in our history’, consequently, ‘here and
now, we will examine Poland through the prism of its teaching, which directed the
generations of our ancestors.’
‘Thinking Homeland … Civic virtues and patriotism on the 100th anniversary
of regaining independence by Poland’ is one of the ‘commandments’ of the ‘Decalogue
for Poland’ under elaboration, i.e. one out of ten segments of theo-logic
thinking (the thought guided by the logics of social science derived from the science
of God) and understanding of the phenomenon of Poland itself. The sub-title clearly specifies further that the subject of the said thought shall be a conjunction
of civic virtues (= a set of attitudes resulting from the bonds joining a person and
a state) and patriotism (= according to John Paul II: ‘love for everything relating
to homeland’, a moral virtue of love to Homeland). And the questions like: how
do they relate to each other, whether they are directly or inversely proportional to
each other, what ethical/social spaces do they share and which ones are separate
for them? etc. Whereas, the two-word title (being the title of Karol Wojtyła’s poem)
enables, and – what is more: suggests, inclines – to provide the thought in the light
of teaching of our great fellow citizen and compatriot, the saint Pope.
Thus: what John Paul II tries to tell us about what is patriotic and what is
civic and about the interrelationship, threats and perspectives between these two
aspects? And what – this is the most important question – from his theo-logic
thought in this subject could become ‘deca-logic’ (in the perspective of liability
and morality) for Poland, for its conversion, good and future?
Karol Wojtyła/John Paul II does not differentiate clearly (he does not formulate
strict definitions, does not make differences) between patriotism and civic virtues.
The fundamental string of his thought and teaching in this respect is directed towards
in-depth understanding and description of patriotism, which leads to civic
ethos (the so-called civic virtues, arete politike, that is, a set of attitudes which
show concern about the common good, namely, the state). He presents these in
several genealogical layers of his works and teaching: within the poetic layer (here,
in particular, in his poem titled Thinking Homeland… of 1974), within the essayistic
layer (here, in particular, in Memory and Identity, written in 1993 and 2005)
and within the preacher’s and lecturer’s layer (here, for instance, in homilies and
speeches made during pilgrimages to Poland, but not only in these cases, also in
some speeches concerning the issue in question, among others, during his famous
speech in the Paris-based seat of UNESCO in 1980).
The poem Thinking Homeland…, a text exceptionally dense in terms of language
and content, published five years after its creation, already during the pontificate,
under a nick name, contains several splendid and well-known phrases of
Wojtyła: ‘When I think: Homeland, then I express myself and put down my roots’;
‘Is it possible for history to flow against the current of consciences?’’ ‘the liturgy
of history’. Fragments of Memory and Identity constitute its essayistic development
and interpretation. It is in this work where John Paul II explains fundamental content
of his theology of patriotism/civic virtues, homeland and nation, their history
and culture. In short:
Homeland is a heritage, a resource of goods (strictly interrelated spiritual and
material values, culture and land) received ‘after ancestors’. The teaching of Christ
includes the most in-depth elements of theological vision of the homeland – it
‘opens the notion of homeland towards eschatology and eternity, but by no means
deprives it of its earthly content (!). Patriotism means the ‘love for homeland’, an
internal attitude (pietas) and a moral virtue, falling within the scope of the 4th commandment of the Decalogue. Both homeland and nation have got their own
theological roots and existential reference to the mystery of creation and – similarly
as in case of a family – they constitute ‘natural communities’ (nature of a man is
of social character; a nation ‘is not a fruit of an ordinary agreement’) and ‘remain
realities that cannot be replaced’ (!). What is more to say and describe in more
detail in this subject: ‘You cannot […] replace a nation with a state’, ‘the more you
cannot convert the nation into the so-called democratic society’. The Pope reaches
for Christology also in this case: ‘The mystery of personification, the foundation
of the Church, belongs to the theology of nation’ and gives it proper justification
and inalienability, direction and depth.
Theology and theo-logics of homeland and nation, as well as a theological reflection
over relationships between ‘man – nation– homeland – state – civic virtues’,
protects the whole difficult, complicated conglomeration, exposed to vagueness
and distortions against mistakes and their existential consequences (sometimes
with terrible results), such as, on the one side eradication and orphanage, and on
the other side, a nationalism (‘so as the inalienable function of the nation will not
degenerate into nationalism’). Calling for the ‘”Jagiellonian” dimension of Polish
identity’, the Pope writes that ‘Polish identity is, in fact, a multiplicity and pluralism,
not parochialism and confinement’. At the same time, he defends the – nowadays
attacked – strive for protection and development of the ‘nation’s identity’
against its dispersion in transnational and cosmopolitan structures.
He does so through the category of culture, crediting it with fundamental significance
in his theological thought concerning the nation and state (thus, also
the patriotism and civic virtues). During his speech in the seat of UNESCO, he
mentioned: ‘The nation is such a great community of people who are joined together
with various bonds, but, above all, with culture. The nation exists ‘because
of its culture’ and ‘for its culture’. […] There is a basic sovereignty of the society,
expressed in the culture of nation. Simultaneously, it is the sovereignty through
which a man becomes parallelly the most sovereign.’ He said a terrific thing about
his experience of papal service: ‘with my experience of the history of my homeland,
with my increasing experience of the value of nation, I was not a stranger for
the people I met. On the contrary, my experience of homeland facilitated, to great
extent, my contacts with people and nations on all the continents.’
Consequently, the basic conclusion from ‘thinking: Homeland’: when, in the Christian,
ecclesiastically moderated space, ‘I express myself and put down my roots’ into
what is native and national, then the process (and attitudes co-creating it) serves what
is universal for all humans, transnational, universal, eternal. Strengthening of (arousing,
developing and cleansing) patriotism constitutes the best way to strengthening of
(arousing, developing and cleansing) virtues and civic attitudes. Let us emphasise it:
both require protection – patriotism need protection against demons of nationalisms,
civic virtues – against emptiness of a liberal state, where the nomo-, bureau-, and
technocracy cannot defend the panegoism and atrophy of virtues.‘When I think: Homeland, I’m looking for the way’ – wrote Wojtyła forty-four
years ago. The way runs through the Baptism of Poland, teaches. The one dating
back to more than a thousand years and the one, in which all subsequent generations
should cleanse themselves. The Baptism will save Independent Poland and
its citizens, it will bring the future to both the Homeland and State. The Baptism
will put down its and their roots in the redemptive God’s mysteries of creation,
personification and love.
Słowa kluczowe: naród, ojczyzna |