There’s something strange

The collaboration of some members of the Catholic Church with the Communist secret services is an issue involving various Churches of the Eastern European countries that once formed part of the Soviet bloc. The fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of Communism led to the opening of the archives of the former regimes with the diffusion of secret reports relating also to churchmen. In many cases, however, the documentation is not complete, nor is it self-sufficient. Only a careful, thorough and critical examination of all the available sources will enable us to come closer to the truth. The hope for such an investigation was recently expressed by the Polish bishops, after the case of Monsignor Wielgus. “It cannot be forgotten that these documents especially accuse their authors”, stress the bishops of Poland. The issue of the alleged collaboration of churchmen was also discussed by the bishops of the Czech Republic during their 67th plenary (Prague, 23-24 January); they issued a statement of which we present a résumé below. REVIEWING THE SITUATION. “To consider the question in a truthful way, we reviewed the situation under the Communist totalitarian regime, when all of us were persecuted by the secret services (StB) or arrested. We lived through those times and we know very well that in periods of persecution, priests remained alone. The Catholic Church was persecuted as an ally of ‘foreign centres’. The bishops of all the dioceses were removed, or imprisoned. Persons considered an inconvenience to the regime were persecuted by the Communist Party. Yet those who represent continuity with that regime now sit in Parliament without any qualms or objections being expressed by public opinion. Those who persecuted, tortured, or even liquidated, their victims continue to fill important positions in total anonymity. Society has not yet come to terms with this fact. It even seems to be tolerated by public opinion. The attacks against the victims of oppression and of blackmail are even more strange”. WHAT THE CHURCH HAS DONE. “We wish to point out a fact that is being completely overlooked in relation to collaboration with the former regime: the Catholic Church began to tackle the question of the collaboration of priests with the StB even before any ‘Lustration Act’ (law of purging after the fall of the regime) had been drafted and before the means appropriate for it had been adopted: recognition of guilt, repentance, penance and reparation. Those who occupied positions advantageous for their own advancement were removed. In 1990, the bishops and priests made a penitential pilgrimage to Velehrad to pray for those who had fallen, appealing to them to recognize their own guilt, repent of their ways and ask for forgiveness. In 1993, the Czech Bishops’ Conference published a letter read out in all churches – an appeal for penance and a public apology for the guilt of priests. The bishops also exhorted the priests involved in the intrigues of the StB to discuss with them their situation at the time and all the circumstances of their collaboration. An article commenting on the affair was published and a request for forgiveness made. Does there exist any other community of persons that did something similar and acted so promptly?” TACKLING UNCLARIFIED CASES. “At that time we had no opportunity to consult the documents of the StB. Having spoken with priests, we had then decided not to condemn anyone just because his name was included in the list of collaborators, without any ascertainment of the truth having first been carried out. We recognize that the documents of the secret service are convincing about the collaboration of some priests with the StB. If genuine evidence exists about the involvement of any priest, he deserves condemnation, even more so if he did what he did for career, money or if he caused harm to anyone. If a priest was forced to collaborate as a result of his imperfection or his weakness, he deserves our reproof. If he accepted to collaborate due to long-term persecution, fear and blackmail, he deserves our compassion. But if a priest has no idea why his name was inserted in the list of collaborators of the StB, and if there are proofs that he never signed any pact of collaboration and never furnished any information against anyone, he cannot be criminalized. We are ready to tackle cases that still remain to be clarified”. RESPECTING EVERYONE. “We ask everyone not to judge anyone on the basis of superficial and unverified accusations. We ask all those who work in the media to promote the truth, and to respect the dignity of the human being and his right to a good name. We ask that no one be condemned without his real guilt being verified. We ask all those involved to ensure that the diffusion of the documents of the StB takes place without permitting their abuse for purposes of personal vendetta”.