August Hlond

98
August Hlond bigraphy, stories - Catholic cardinal

August Hlond : biography

July 5, 1881 – October 22, 1948

August Hlond (July 5, 1881 – October 22, 1948) was a Polish cardinal, who was Archbishop of Poznań and Gniezno in 1926 and primate (highest ranking church official) in Poland, Archbishop of Gniezno and Warsaw in 1946.

Relations with Jews

Pastoral letter

In 1936, Cardinal Hlond, as Primate of Poland issued a pastoral letter articulating his stance towards Poland’s Jews: "There will be a Jewish problem as long as the Jews remain…It is a fact that the Jews fight against the Catholic church, they are free-thinkers, and constitute the vanguard of atheism, bolshevism and revolution. It is true that the Jews are committing frauds, practicing usury, and dealing in white slavery. It is also true that in the schools the Jewish youth is having an evil influence, from an ethical and religious point of view, on the Catholic youth."Brian A. Porter. Polin, 16 (2003):415-429.

Jewish shops

Hlond tempered these remarks with admonitions to not harm Jews: "But let us be just. Not all Jews are like that. One does well to avoid Jewish shops and Jewish stalls in the markets, but it is not permitted to demolish Jewish businesses. One should protect oneself against the influence of Jewish morals…but it is inadmissible to assault, hit or injure Jews. In a Jew you should also respect and love a human being and your neighbor." (August Cardinal Hlond’s Pastoral Letter of February 29, 1936 which was read from pulpits across the country.) Hlond also offered support for a boycott of Jewish businesses,Joseph Marcus. Walter de Gruyter, 1983. and indicated a willingness on the part of the church to accept conversion of Jews.Brian Porter. In Robert Blobaum, Ed. Antisemitism and Its Opponents in Modern Poland. Cornell University Press, 2005:103-123. Hlond’s letter was criticized by Polish Jewish groups, who saw it as offering support and a rationalization for anti-semitism.Richard S. Levy. . ABC-CLIO, 2005.

Against Nazi persecution

However, while Hlond promoted the expulsion of German civilians after World War II, he had always consistently condemned the Nazi persecution of the Jews and had been openly opposed to all actions hurting Jews materially and physically.

Kielce pogrom

Another controversy was caused by Hlond’s reaction to the Kielce pogrom, that took place in Polish town of Kielce on July 4, 1946. While condemning murders, Hlond denied the racist nature of this crime. He saw pogrom as a reaction against Jewish bureaucrats serving Communist regime. Michael Phayer This position was echoed by Cardinal Sapieha, who was reported to have said that the Jews brought it on themselves. Peter C. Kent

Early life and Ordination

St. John’s cathedral in Warsaw]] Second son of a simple railway worker, he was born in the Upper Silesian village Brzęczkowice (), now part of Mysłowice () in 1881. After finishing school education in Poland, he was sent to Italy, where he studied philosophy at the Papal University. Completed his baccalaureate grade in 1904 in Poland. Consecrated to Bishop in 1926, and Cardinal in 1927.

Relations with ethnic Germans

Hlond has been accused of overstepping his authority by forcing German officeholders to resign their church posts in 1945 in favor of Poles, thereby supporting the Polish integration of formerly eastern German territories that had been given to Poland by the Allies as compensation for territory taken by the Soviet Union. Maximilian Kaller was one of the bishops who was removed from his diocese and deported to West Germany. Kaller is now in process of beatification. Another bishop forced out was Carl Maria Splett, Bishop of Danzig.

Bishop and Cardinal

In 1939 Hlond spent several months in Rome for the conclave of 1939. In January 1940, Vatican Radio broadcast Hlond’s reports of German persecution of Jews and the Catholic clergy in Poland. These reports were included in the report of the Polish government to the Nuremberg Trials after the war.

In 1932, together with Ignacy Posadzy founded Society of Christ Fathers.

Cardinal August Hlond reported in August 1941 to the secretary of state that the Polish people believed Pope Pius XII had abandoned them. This was said in light of the Nazi persecution of the Polish church and clergy.

He lived in southern France from 1940 to 1944 during most of World War II. He was arrested by the Gestapo on February 3, 1944, but was freed by the Allies on April 1, 1945. He returned to Poznań on July 20, 1945. He was transferred to Warsaw and named primate of Poland on June 13, 1946. He strongly opposed the communist regime there.

He was buried in the crypt of St. John’s cathedral in Warsaw. In March 2006 his body was tranferred to the Chapel of St. John the Baptist.

Beatification proposal

The process of beatification is from 1992.

Professor Franz Scholz, a German theologian, as well as many others have expressed their opposition to the proposed beatification of Cardinal Hlond. Scholz opposes his actions against post-war German expellees and civilians on territory annexated by the Polish Republic.