Fr. #Popiełuszko — 🇵🇱 priest, martyr & hero. A 🧵
When Communist officials kidnapped & killed Fr Popiełuszko, they likely did not intend to help create a 🇵🇱 hero, martyr & future saint
@AleteiaPl @AleteiaEN @ks_Marcin_J @ekaipl #PolishHistory @EpiskopatNews @Abp_Gadecki @ekaipl
Jerzy Popiełuszko was born #OTD in 1947 to a farming family in Okopy, a village in eastern #Poland bordering modern-day #Ukraine. While #WWII had ended, the regime of the Communist Party had taken place of the 🇩🇪 and 🇷🇺 occupants and ruled 🇵🇱 at the time.
As a young man, Popiełuszko served his required time in the army before completing seminary studies and becoming a priest for the Archdiocese of Warsaw. He was ordained on May 28, 1972 at the age of 24.
As a priest in Warsaw, Popiełuszko served in both regular and student parishes. He became known for his steadfast, non-violent resistance to Communism, about which he spoke frequently in his homilies, which were broadcast on @RFERL.
Since 1980, he was close to the workers and supported the Solidarity movement. In 1981, Jerzy Popiełuszko visited the workers protesting in the Warsaw Steelworks. Thereafter he became the chaplain of ‘Solidarity’ and was associated with opposition to the Communist regime
No wonder then, that Popiełuszko was constantly on the radar of the Communist Secret Service. His sermons were called "hate speech" & criticized for their "unbridled hate for the communist regime". In October 1984, stones were thrown at his car in an attempt to cause an accident
With his life increasingly under threat, the Polish primate Józef Glemp asked Father Popiełuszko to leave for Rome to study. He was supposed to depart on October 16, but declined the offer.
In the evening of Oct 19, he was kidnapped by agents of the communist secret service. 3 officers stopped Popiełuszko's car near Toruń. The priest was then beaten, tied up, and thrown into the car’s boot.
His body was found 11 days later & the news of his death caused a powerful wave of indignation in 🇵🇱. His body was tortured to the extent that he could only be formally identified by his distinguishing features.
His funeral was attended by more than 250,000 people.
Father Popiełuszko was posthumously awarded the Order of the White Eagle, Poland's highest distinction, in 2009. The following year he was beatified by Archbishop Angelo Amato in Warsaw.
Today, on the anniversary of Father Popiełuszko's birthday, @PremierRP_en @MorawieckiM paid his respect at his grave in Warsaw.
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