Abstract

Primate Stefan Wyszynski belonged to the generation of priests who experienced severe persecution of the Church during World War II. Tese experiences also influenced his vision of the Church in Poland. He saw them mainly as an act of God’s will that must be accepted. From this perspective, he also saw the persecution of the Church by communists, which ultimately purifed it and was a test of its faithfulness. Te imprisonment of the Primate in the years 1953-1956 did not end with his breaking, but ultimately contributed to the growth of his authority and the strength of the Church. Tanks to his concern for maintaining the unity of the Church in Poland and thanks to the program of the Great Novena before the celebration of the millennium of baptism in 1966, there was a real religious flourishing. Over the following decades, the Church in Poland was perceived as strong and dynamic compared to other
European countries. Tis fact should be considered the fruit of the faithfulness of those who in the 20th century were persecuted in Poland for their faith in Christ, frst by the Nazis and then by the communists.