Kościół katolicki i religia w prasie Księstwa Warszawskiego 1807–1812 („Gazeta Korespondenta Warszawskiego i Zagranicznego” i „Gazeta Warszawska”)

Abstract

The article discusses the content of two Polish newspapers from the period the Duchy of Warsaw in terms of the presentation of the Catholic church and Catholicism. The press in the Napoleonic system fulfilled a propaganda function and its chief aim was not to inform, but to form the public opinion in accordance with the government’s expectations. Thus, the information about the Church was carefully controlled. The news which presented the authorities of the Duchy and Napoleon I in a positive light was highlighted, while the news which failed to do so was deemphasized or omitted. In the case of an entirely dependent duchy, but one that gave rise to the Polish state after the partitions, there was an additional factor involved: the effort to organize the Polish society around the idea of independence. For this reason, it was important to show both the patriotic attitude of the clergy as well as the godliness of the governors. This was aimed at convincing the society that the Duchy carried on the heritage of the pre-partition Commonwealth. As sources of historical data, both newspapers provide rich material illustrating numerous forms of patriotic engagement on the part of the Polish clergy in the restitution of the Polish state, as well as in social and political activity. Therefore, they are a valuable complement to the contemporary historical sources concerning the Napoleonic period in the Polish lands.