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Nasza Przeszłość

Vol. 81 (1994): Our Past

Articles

The political activities of Archbishop Józef Teofil Teodorowicz in the period of the Second Polish Republic

  • Piotr Szczudłowski
DOI: https://doi.org/10.52204/np.1994.81.115-161  [Google Scholar]
Published: 1994-06-30

Abstract

According to Armenian Archbishop J. Teodorowicz, the Church in Poland in the interwar period had to assume the role of an advocate of national identity and a mediator in an economically, socially and politically diverse society, which he perceived as Polish, and at that time was divided between its neighbors. He considered Russian communism and German national socialism a threat to Poland. Although he was an active advocate of the Polishness of the eastern regions of Poland, he was far from hostile towards Ukrainians, although he did not hide his distrust towards them. He fully approved the capture of Vilnius and played a significant role in the campaign for the plebiscite in Upper Silesia (1921). In cooperation with A. Sapieha, he argued for this with Pope Benedict XV. and Secretary of State. This activity was considered controversial in government and parliamentary circles. Thanks to his involvement in the work of the Constitutional Committee of the Sejm, many of his demands were included in the Basic Law of 1921. The archbishop's active participation in creating the principles of agrarian reform was considered an expression of his conservatism. The core of his position on this issue was the defense of the material basis of the Church's activity, criticizing the concordat concluded in 1925. In his opinion, the Church renounced its property rights, the recognition of Catholicism as the state religion, the religious school and the recognition of the Church's marriage law. He was the initiator of the creation of the National Union (1919), then the People's Union of the Federation of National Sejms (1919) and the National People's League (1919), and in 1921 the Christian-National Party. Over time, his ties with National Democracy strengthened, and in the Polish episcopate, Archbishop Teodorowicz was one of the most active politicians. He was more active in the Sejm than other clergy. Therefore, his influence on the affairs and fate of the state was proportionally greater.

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