A resilient faith

Richard A. Sokerka

The roots of the Catholic faith in the Polish people are very deep. Last year, Poland celebrated the 1,050th anniversary of its Christian heritage. Since 966, Poland has more often than not been the bulwark of Christianity against invasion, and has time and again defended its civilization spurred on by its deep Catholic heritage.

Those of Polish heritage here in the Dio­cese of Paterson and across the United States can rightly point with pride to their homeland, a free country that has been able to preserve its culture and remain steadfast in its faith despite many challenges over the centuries. That the Poles saved European civilization from Islamic invaders in 1683, the Bolsheviks in 1920 and in the 1980s formed a movement that took down the Soviet Union is nothing short of miraculous. And it was all directly attributable to the Catholic Church, the most important institution in preserving Polish culture.

Indeed, it is almost impossible to find another country in the world today so shaped by its Catholic faith.

President Donald Trump recognized the role Catholicism has played in Poland’s history in a speech he made there before he attended the G20 Summit in Germany. The speech received scant coverage from the secular press, but it is certainly worth noting because at its core, it defended faith, family, values and culture.

The remarks echoed those of St. Pope John Paul II in his visit to his homeland in 1979. When the Pope cited the need for spiritual and cultural renewal, reminding the Poles of the power of Christ’s love, the crowd chanted: “We want God, we want God, we want God in the family, we want God in the schools, we want God in books!”

The highlight of President Trump’s speech came when he recalled that faith-filled cry: “And when the day came on June 2, 1979, and one million Poles gathered around Victory Square for their very first Mass with their Polish Pope, that day, every communist in Warsaw must have known that their oppressive system would soon come crashing down.... They must have known it at the exact moment during Pope John Paul II’s sermon when a million Polish men, women, and children suddenly raised their voices in a single prayer. A million Polish people did not ask for wealth. They did not ask for privilege. Instead, one million Poles sang three simple words: ‘We want God.’ As I stand here today before this faithful nation, we can still hear those voices that echo through history. Their message is as true today as ever. The people of Poland, the people of America, and the people of Europe still cry out ‘We want God.’”

President Trump asked everyone to work together to confront forces which threaten to undermine our values and try to wipe out the bonds of culture, family, faith and tradition. “Let us all fight like the Poles—for family, for freedom, for country, and for God,” he said.

“And above all,” he said, “we value the dignity of every human life, protect the rights of every person, and share the hope of every soul to live in freedom. That is who we are.”

The resilient faith of the Polish people is a story worth telling over and over again. For without faith, we have nothing. The Polish people are living proof of that.