My brief comment on the very complicated and tortured history of Orthodoxy on Polish territory and under
Polish rule:
The current Polish Orthodox Church was originally founded by Constantinople and it was under their rule,
but later,
when the Red Army-Soviets 'liberated' -took total control of Poland, they were forced [i.e. they had no
way to say no] to be put under the Moscow Patriarchate, with some sort of their supposed, 'autonomy', etc.
That is their unchosen top-level ecclesiastical government situation today.
Those in this Polish Orthodox Church, practice their faith, regardless of what jurisdiction their hierarchs
are 'under'. Certainly, many of them, the simple believers, cannot approve of the Moscow Patriarchate!.. or of Vladimir Putin!
And as to the current ethnic-demographic-
human make-up of the actual lay and clergy membership of this Polish Orthodox Church, that too is complicated.
Some
percent are ethnic Poles, [what percent is not clear], some ethnic
Orthodox or Catholic Poles are,
naturally, intermarried with some non-Poles, but apparently the vast
majority of Orthodox people in Poland, are: Rusins/'Ruthenians',
(Carpatho-Russians), and many!-self-labeled, Ukrainians, some newer
Great-Russian immigrants, -plus a mix of other traditional
Orthodox nationalities, including some Greeks and Romanians, and
Bulgarians, but
many
Poland-native-born descendants of those historically-born-Orthodox
people, which when, in past grim centuries,
powerful and aggressive Catholic Poland was a long-time major
persecutor of Orthodox Slavs, with also, the Catholic Austrian
Hapsburg's heavy-handed tyrannical rule, ...those who remained
Orthodox-it is their HERITAGE, have suffered much for their
beloved Orthodox faith over past ages. WHICH is why the current
Orthodox descendants, on Polish territory, are so pious and so very
fervent in their personal practice of their faith! All Roman Catholic
rulers, under orders from their Popes in Rome, tried
to force, Uniatism ['Byzantine Rite -Catholicism'] on Orthodox Slavs,
Serbs included, with much heavy taxations, and violence and bloodshed.
The Hapsburgs actually crucified on wooden crosses, or shot in front of firing squads,
large numbers of Orthodox Christians who would not convert and
become Roman Catholics! Catholic Poland and Catholic Hungary were not
much better.
Formerly fanatical-Catholic-Poland, [the sole officially
Catholic nation which ITSELF as a nation,
was at one time, 'Gifted in perpetuity as the private property
of The Pope',...all future Popes!] when it was an arrogant and a
powerful military power in eastern Europe,& when it was among the
most intolerant of all Catholic nations against the Orthodox,
[also the biggest hater of the Russian Orthodox Czar and Orthodox
Russia], and frequently were invading the Ukraine and other Orthodox
lands, under the pious Papist excuse of 'bringing the 'schismatic,
'Greeks' [all Orthodox] back under submission to the
Pope', etc.!
HOWEVER, "Man proposes, but GOD disposes!"
And, 'LIFE EQUALS CHANGE!'
Now, on
post-World War II, Polish territory, there are
by obvious & unavoidable necessity,
an estimated approximately 1-2 million
or more, openly-Orthodox people, and they have complete
freedom of worship, guaranteed in the Polish Constitution, ...and with
their own important political clout in the Polish government. Many are
Polish citizens.
Thus
too, traditionally-Catholic Poland is obliged, to give shelter on its
territory, to many new refugees,
most of them native-Orthodox Christians in religion, many newcomers who
are recently fleeing from Putin's unjustified and bloody war on
near-by Ukraine. In western-Ukraine, there is also, a sizable remnant of
ethnic mostly Roman-Rite Catholic Poles, left
from the past very complicated history of Ukraine.
Ironically, among these new non-ethnic-Poles, fresh refugees, are a sizable number of middle-aged Russians
and young Russian boys & men, [so-called, 'draft-dodgers'] born in the Russian Federation, who do not want to be a part of Putin's war machine, and who do not believe in or support his evil war against
brotherly Ukraine. MANY other
Russians too, of all ages, do not support what Putin is doing to
Ukraine!...but they have no voice in Putin's dictatorship....except for
those able to FLEE the Russian Federation.
Many who have the money to leave Russia and who are able to, are
fleeing...... and a sizable number to nearby convenient .....anti-Putin
Poland!
Liturgically, it appears that in the worship of the Polish Orthodox Church, the Polish language is in
use, more in certain cities, however, mostly Church Slavonic is
in greater general use, or both languages are mixed together. Sermons,
and activity announcements, appear to be often given in Polish. Each
parish is different, depending on its ethnic/linguistic
make-up.
Reader Daniel in Oregon
