The confrontation between
the Church and Poland’s communist masters was a constant war, not a sporadic
set of skirmishes. It was always “we” and “they,” “us,” and “them,” for as Pope
John Paul II later put it, “the communists tried to be accepted, not just as a
political authority, but as a moral authority, as an expression of the Polish
nation.” The principle obstacle to that was the Church, which “the regime tried
to pretend … did not exist.” The confrontation could not be understood in
conventional Western political terms. This was a non-adjudicable struggle.
Somebody was going to win and somebody was going to lose. -- George Weigel*
Growing
up under the Nazi occupation of Poland and, then, as a priest during the rule
of Stalinism, John Paul II was familiar with being a combatant in culture wars.
(From the age of 19 until he was 58 years old, he lived under totalitarian
regimes.) Certainly, he knew that his battle was essentially a spiritual one.
Yet he also understood that culture is an expression of a particular faith and,
therefore, of religion. Accordingly, he adopted the tactic of resistance through culture. “This was not a man
consumed by history. This was a man determined to shape history through
culture.” This was part of his genius and one of the main reasons why he and
the Polish Church were so successful in overthrowing communism.
As
an artist—he was a poet, playwright, and stage actor—he knew the transformative
power of words, symbols, and imagery. Not only did he write plays and poetry
that indirectly but powerfully express his convictions regarding human dignity,
the purpose of freedom, and the nature of God’s fatherhood, but also frequently
met with artists of all mediums for conversation and mutual support. (He also
maintained friendships and private correspondence with philosophers, scientists,
and historians.)
Tyrants
such as Hitler have always understood the power of art in subjugating a
culture. He knew that humanity and art are inextricably wedded, so he destroyed
museums, plundered private art collections, and ransacked libraries. Destroy
the culture, erase the heritage, and the way is paved for domination. Resisting
such a culture of death – not only negatively by “saving the art,” but, also,
positively in supporting artists and sharing his own artistic creations – was
something John Paul II saw as critical to his Christian witness and advocating
Christian humanism.
His
witness, however, extended beyond the arts, for, as Weigel noted, the bishop of
Krakow also believed his calling included being a “custodian of a heritage” and
as “the defender of the people of Krakow.” While the communist leaders saw this
as so much twaddle, “For him, it was a living, breathing tradition in which he
was immersed in his home and his cathedral. As he lived that tradition, he
helped provide symbols for his people’s rising dissatisfaction with the status
quo. Events and struggles, in other contexts, would have been mere matters of a
zoning restriction or a parade permit—like the building of new churches, or the
holding of public processions—became emblematic of a rising cultural resistance
to the communist monopoly on political power, the communist expropriation of
Polish history, and the communist ‘pulverization of the fundamental uniqueness
of each human person.’”
“Resistance
through culture.”
“Custodian
of a heritage.”
“Defender
of the people.”
I
remember my initial experience of reading these descriptions and thinking not
only how insightful and wise he was but also how applicable these metaphors are
to all of us who wish to leave a legacy to our worlds: a legacy that pays
appropriate honor to Goodness, Beauty, and Truth, to Faith, Hope, and Love, to
the fundamental uniqueness of each human person, and to the heritage our
nation’s Founders created and passed on. Consider how you, with your particular
talents and opportunities, may both resist the culture of death and advocate a culture that is life
affirming. Consider how and where you will defend people in your world,
wherever their dignity is being denied.
Culture
Combatants quite often believe the only way to engage the advocates of the
culture of death are through direct confrontation (aka, mouth-to-mouth combat).
History is replete, however, with evidence that, quite often, a far more
effective means of success is through what John Paul II referred to as our
“indirect witness” via “the
sanctification of all of life, which [can] not be divided neatly into
containers labeled ‘religious’ and ‘other.’” It is the indirect “other” of
individuals, families, laborers-professionals, artists, and educators, whose
attitudes, deeds, words, and work, embody Goodness, Beauty, and the Love of God
for all human persons, whose lights dispel the darkness.
Next
post: Lessons From a Combatant in the
Culture Wars: John Paul II and a Life of Charity
*
All quotes from Witness to Hope: The
Biography of Pope John Paul II, by George Weigel, Cliff Street Books, 1999
Copyright, Monte E Wilson,
2015
Monte’s
book, Legendary Leadership
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