Zapytania kard. Augusta Hlonda rozpatrywane przez Kongregację Świętego Oficjum za pontyfikatu Piusa XI

Abstract

August Hlond served for over ten years (1926-1939) as the archbishop of Gniezno and Poznan during the pontificate of Pius XI and on three occasions addressed questions to the Apostolic See which were considered by the Congregation of the Holy Office. Only one of those questions was directly related to the archdioceses governed by him. The remaining ones were taken up by the Consultor of the Holy Office in a printed report and distributed to the members of the Congregation to acquaint them with the issues to be considered. Their analysis seems to be interesting from the perspective of relations between the Apostolic See and the episcopate of Poland because Hlond did not hesitate to bluntly voice his concerns about the threat of a collapse of Catholicism in Poland within a few decades. The issues tackled by the Holy Office are indirect evidence of the recognition the Apostolic See showed to the significant role of the Primate in the Polish Church. Cardinal Hlond's question on vows of obedience received from penitents by some confessors met with a decisive reaction of the Holy See and it was the Primate of Poland who was appointed to resolve the problem. The other two questions concerned doubts as to the participation of Catholics in acatholic ceremonies and the possibility of selling prohibited books by the St. Adalbert Bookstore in Poznan.