POLITICAL ASPECTS OF JOHN PAUL II'S FIRST VISIT TO POLAND. SYMBOLIC AND RELIGIOUS ELEMENTS IN POLISH ASPIRATIONS TO FREEDOM AS EXPRESSED BY THE POPE
The pope's first visit to Poland, lasting from 2nd to 10th June 1979, had a great significance not only for the freedom of Polish Church but also for the development of the country. The visit contributed indirectly to regaining democratic liberties by Poland and its citizens. The vast majority of Poles is aware that John Paul II's first visit to Poland contributed to the rise of the Solidarity movement in August 1980. This shows the strength of the Poles' experiences at that time and their mobilization in their battle for freedom and democracy. Many analysts share the opinion that the pope's words and viewpoints, given during this pilgrimage, played a decisive role in that battle. During this pilgrimage the pope visited several cities and towns as well as the former German concentration camp in Auschwitz-Birkenau. In the homily preached during the Holy Mass in the centre of Warsaw he appealed to his compatriots for particular responsibility for the fates of the country and motherland. He expressed then some extraordinary words, directed to God, calling on descending the Holy Spirit to renew this land. These words were construed as a call for political and freedom transformations in Poland. As we know, the call has been answered by the Divine Providence. It is worth mentioning that John Paul II is recognized, by some scientists, as a restorer of the Polish speech. They think that John Paul II's language differed considerably from the language that the Poles usually heard in the statements of the notables of the Polish People's Republic. The pope's speeches were preceded by gibberish that could be often heard on television at that time. But his language was precise and true and by comparison the Poles felt that the language of the representatives of the regime was miserable. John Paul II's speeches reflected the brilliance of the truth and therefore they had a huge effect on the Polish society. Words can express all human thoughts. Words carry various ideas. That is why words are an important tool in political life as well. Under the influence of the pope's visit and his words the Poles felt stronger. They gained confidence and belief in a possibility to overcome undemocratic communist system, imposed on Poland by the Soviet Union after the end of World War II. With his words the pope made the Poles aware of their strength, gave them hope for victory, and they believed because they were believers. And the communist system, though stubbornly fought ideologically against religion, proved to be weak compared with the truth promoted by the pope, compared with the belief of the Poles. The pope came to Poland as a pilgrim of peace, belief and hope. His only weapon which he used, were his own words, the words of the truth. That truth disclosed entirely the inhuman character of the communist system, hidden by the communists and their propagandists. It is under the impact of the pope's words that the communist regime fell. The pope's words turned out to be a sufficient weapon against which communism in Poland was powerless and had to go away to history. There is a common conviction that John Paul II made an enormous impact on the Polish society during his first pilgrimage to Poland in June 1979. It is his visit and inspiration that led to democratic changes in his homeland. In the 1980s the pope travelled to Poland yet twice (in 1983 and 1987). Ten years after the pope's first visit to his motherland Poland regained freedom. In 1989 we were observers of the collapse of communism in Poland. On 4th June 1989 Solidarity won the parliamentary elections assuming power in Poland. Since then democratic changes have begun in Poland. And the Polish events initiated similar processes in other European communist countries and in the Soviet Union as well. Another 10 years later, in 1999, Poland became the member of the NATO, and yet 5 years after that, in 2004, Poland joined the European Union, together with some other post-communist countries. This paper claims that John Paul II's first visit to Poland was both of religious and political character and contributed to significant political changes 10 years later both in Poland and its neighbouring countries