Kardynał Stefan Wyszyński – Prymas Tysiąclecia

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An article that briefly presents the profile and the most important achievements of Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński, the Primate of the Millennium, is divided into three parts. The first part shows the childhood of Zuzela (1901–1910) and Andrzejewo (1910–1912) and of youth in Warsaw (1912–1915) and Łomża (1915–1917). The spiritual atmosphere of the family home, from which he derived Christian values and deep piety, played a huge role in shaping the boy’s conscience and attitude. The second part presents the priest’s path (1924–1946), leading to the dignity of the bishop of Lublin (1946–1948), and then the metropolitan archbishop of Gniezno and Warsaw(1948–1981). It coincided with the difficult 1920s and 1930s, as well as the Second World War and the post-war period. Most of that time was marked by struggles with two totalitarianisms: brown, i.e. national-socialist, and red, i.e. international-socialist (communist). The third part discusses the most important aspects of these efforts and achievements, which made Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński the spiritual father of the Polish nation and was described by John Paul II as the Primate of the Millennium. He saved the faith and the Church in Poland from atheism and godlessness, and by carrying it through the dark time of communist repression he helped Poland and Polesto preserve and develop their national identity. The article justifies and illustrates the words of John Paul II addressed to Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński on October 23, 1978, a week after the conclave: “Venerable and Beloved Primate Fathers! Let me just saywhat I think. There would not be in the See of Peter this Polish Pope, who today full of fear of God, but also full of trust, begins a new pontificate, if it were not for your faith, which does not retreat from imprisonment and suffering, your heroic hope, and yourentrustment entirely to the Mother of the Church, if Jasna Góra and the whole period of the history of the Church in our homeland, which are related to your episcopal and primate ministry, was not there."