Vatican II Behind the Iron Curtain

VATICAN II AND POLAND 161

the opening session of Vatican II, he went to see Władysław
Gomułka, who told him:

I personally have never been an advocate of struggle against the

Catholic Church. The government never wanted this, and our policy

has been inclined toward mutual understanding and agreement. The

conflicts that have arisen have been the fault of the episcopate, not

the government. The episcopate from the very beginning has done

nothing but await change, revolution, and even war. Such an atti-

tude of necessity had to provoke the enmity of the People’s govern-

ment. In these days of horror that we have experienced [the Cuban

Missile Crisis], the pope has played a great role by issuing a fervent

appeal for peace. The pope is a great statesman because he under-

stands the world’s conflicts, or rather he understands what nuclear

war might mean. At any rate it is not the first time that this pope

has spoken out in defense of peace. And is it not strange that it is

not Cardinal Wyszyński, but I, who have been quoting the pope’s

statements to the Polish public? Cardinal Wyszyński represents a

church of combat. In his pastoral letter on atheism, he insulted non-

believers like me. He insulted me, an atheist. All the while, the pope

represents a church of peace, wisdom, a church of love, as you peo-

ple would call it. The pope extends his hands to all, and that is why

he has won everyone’s hearts, including those beyond the Church.

I will admit that, while abroad, the Cardinal has not done anything

with which I can find fault, but at home perhaps the Council and the

pope’s stance will have a positive influence on the attitude of the

primate and the episcopate. 103

A few moments later, Gomułka asked Zawieyski to convey the
following verbatim greeting to John XXIII: “May the Lord God
grant him health.”
Coming from the mouth of the top Communist politician of
the most Catholic country behind the Iron Curtain, these words
seemed a revelation. Some historians have argued that the Com-
munist embrace of John XXIII marked a definitive break with

103. Zawieyski, Dzienniki, 2:192, 194.