Cardinal Wyszyński and Mother Czacka beatified in Poland

The Church of Poland celebrated this Sunday, September 12 a great feast of faith in Warsaw, with the beatification ceremony of Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński, considered the mentor of Saint John Paul II, and of Mother Elżbieta Róża Czacka.

Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński was the Primate Archbishop of Poland from 1948 to 1981, he is considered the mentor of Saint John Paul II and the pastor who saved the faith of the Poles in the difficult times of communism.

Mother Elżbieta Róża Czacka was a blind nun who founded the Congregation of Franciscan Sisters Servants of the Cross and founded Obra Laski, a center for the education of blind children and for dialogue with non-believers.

The moving beatification ceremony was presided over by the Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, at the Temple of Divine Providence in Warsaw with the participation of many civil and ecclesiastical authorities and hundreds of faithful present at the within the church and many others who followed the ceremony outside the temple through giant screens.

At the start of the Mass, the Metropolitan Archbishop of Warsaw, Cardinal Kazimierz Nycz, presented the biographies of the two new Blesseds, then Cardinal Marcello Semeraro spoke the Latin words of the rite of beatification.

As tradition dictates, after unveiling the two large paintings with the images of the new blessed, the audience applauded as the choir sang a song.

Immediately afterwards, the relics of the new blessed, along with two small bouquets of flowers and two lighted candles, were placed on one side of the altar.

Among the various details of the ceremony, they pointed out that the first reading was delivered by a blind man who read in Braille and the musical entertainment of the choir made up of many singers and musical instruments.

In his homily, delivered in Italian and translated into Polish, the Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints recalled the prayer of Magnificat pronounced by the Virgin Mary in the Gospel of Saint Luke to indicate that “the words of the song of praise pronounced by the Virgin Mary today express our thanksgiving to God for our participation in the beatification of Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński and of Mother Elżbieta Róża Czacka ”.

In this sense, Cardinal Semeraro indicated that “Poland is a Marian nation, Poland has offered and donated to the Church, during the different periods, outstanding figures of saints, men and women of God. As he did when he sent the Archangel Gabriel to the Virgin, who was called Mary, God also today calls authentic witnesses of holiness to honor and praise his name ”.

“Poland, nation of Mary, land of saints and blessed, in this Temple of Divine Providence, through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, of Blessed Stefan Wyszyński and of Blessed Elżbieta Róża Czacka, We ask God today to give us the strength to be faithful witnesses of his merciful love for each person who needs our time “said the cardinal.

In this sense, Cardinal Semeraro prayed “that the new blessed be powerful intercessors for this worthy nation, that they be a light for state and local authorities, and that support the Church in Poland in constant fidelity to the Gospel of Christ”.

After quoting the words of Pope Francis spoken at a recent general audience in which he described that the saints are “witnesses whom we venerate and who refer us in a thousand different ways to Jesus Christ, the only Lord and Mediator between God and man “, the Vatican authority added that the new blessed” are given to us as models, but also intercessors to whom we can turn with confidence”.

“They are models because they were docile to the grace that worked in them. They are intercessors because, as the Catechism of the Catholic Church reminds us, “they contemplate God, praise him and never cease to care about those who have remained on earth (…) Their intercession is their highest service to the plan. of God. We can and must ask them to intercede for us and for the whole world, ”explained Cardinal Semeraro.

For this reason, the Cardinal invited us to confide “in the intercession of the new blessed, in that the desire to live like the saints ignites in usbecause, as Pope Francis still reminds us, “in our life, although weak and marked by sin, holiness can flourish”.

In addition, Cardinal Semeraro underlined aspects of the life of each of the new Blesseds. For example, he said that Cardinal Wyszyński, “as a true son of the Polish land, really had in his heart a deep devotion to the Holy Mother of God”, so under the gaze of the Virgin Mary “he confided to God his own life and destiny of the Polish nation “and taught him” to live only for God and to please Him alone, through their daily pastoral service “.

Regarding Mother Elżbieta Róża Czacka, the Cardinal underlined her “unshakeable faith in God and in his Providence, as well as” her extraordinary diligence and commitment.

“La Beata Elżbieta Róża nos muestra que there are no obstacles for those who want to love God and love like Him. Also in his life there were many difficulties in which, with incredible hope, he constantly reaffirmed his fidelity to God, who is love, ”he added.

Finally, Cardinal Semeraro recalled that this Sunday the Universal Church celebrates the liturgical feast of the holy name of Mary “because the Christian people consider her a shining star, call her Mother and, in case of danger, run towards her. like a refuge “.