"Each bishop wears the violet of suffering on his face more than the violet of robes" – Review of the joint work "Prymas Stefan Wyszyński i Episkopat Polski", edited by R. Łatka and D. Zamiatała

Abstract

This article serves as a review of the collective work edited by Rafał Łatka and Dominik Zamiatała, entitled “Prymas Stefan Wyszyński i Episkopat Polski” (“Primate Stefan Wyszyński and the Polish Episcopate”), published by the Warsaw Institute of National Remembrance in 2023 as part of the “Bishops in the Realities of the Communist state” series. The individual chapters of the work were discussed, presenting the most important themes covered in them, such as the complexities associated with the nomination of Cardinal Wyszyński as Primate of Poland, in accordance with the will of his predecessor—Cardinal August Hlond; the Primate’s concern about new bishop nominations; Cardinal Wyszyński’s skillful combination of the primate’s office with the function of the chairman of the episcopate; the Primate’s unifying openness to cooperation with individual bishops, especially with his own secretary, and then the Metropolitan of Poznań, Archbishop Antoni Baraniak, or the Metropolitan of Kraków, Karol Wojtyła; the Primate’s relations with hierarchs representing specific entities. Some shortcomings were also noted, such as the omission of Primate Wyszyński’s relations with two dioceses or the incomplete development of relations with the Kraków metropolis. Finally, reference was made to the critical edition of the last letter of Primate Wyszyński to John Paul II, included in the publication under discussion.