Agreement between Government of Republic of Poland and Episcopate of Poland
14 April 1950
Krakow

In order to guarantee to the Nation, People's Poland and its citizens, the best opportunities to grow and the ability to perform both complex and peaceful work — the Government of the Republic of Poland, based firmly on respect for religious freedom and the Episcopate of Poland, having consideration for the good of the Church and current Polish national interest, regulates its relationship as follows:

1. The Episcopate will call upon the clergy to teach its followers respect for the law and state authorities in their pastoral work, in accordance with Catholic doctrine.

2. The Episcopate will call upon the clergy to exhort the followers to work to restore the country and increase the wellbeing of the Nation.

3. The Episcopate of Poland states that economic, historical, cultural, religious laws, as well as historical justice, require the Recovered Lands to belong forever to Poland. On the basis that the Recovered Lands are an inherent part of the Republic of Poland, the Episcopate will ask the Holy See to change the status of residual bishoprics into permanent episcopal ordinariates.

4. The Episcopate, to the extent of its ability, will oppose activities hostile to Poland, and especially anti-Polish and revisionist manifestations on the part of the German clergy.

5. The rule that the Pope is magisterial and the highest authority of the Church, refers to faith, morality and Church's jurisdiction. In other cases the Episcopate conforms to the Polish national interest.

6. On the basis that Church's mission may be carried out in various social-economic arrangements granted by the secular authorities, the Episcopate will instruct the clergy not to oppose the development of cooperative movements in the rural regions, because each cooperative movement is in fact based on the ethical assumption of human nature, striving for the good of the citizenry.

7. The Church — in accordance with its principles — condemning all anti-state manifestations, will especially oppose the misuse of religious feelings for anti-state purposes.

8. The Catholic Church, in accordance with its principles condemning every crime, will oppose the criminal activity of underground groups and will berate and punish by canonical consequences clergymen guilty of participating in any clandestine or anti-state activity.

9. The Episcopate, in accordance with the doctrine of the Church, will support all efforts aimed at securing peace and will oppose, to the extent of its ability, all attempts to provoke war.

10. Teaching of catechism in schools.

a. The government does not intend to restrict the present extend to which catechism is taught in schools; programmes for teaching catechism will be prepared by school authorities together with representatives of the Episcopate; schools will be equipped with proper textbooks; teachers of catechism, both secular and clerical, will be treated equally to teachers of other subjects; school authorities will appoint inspectors of catechism teaching in cooperation with the Episcopate.

b. The authorities will not create any impediment to pupils’ participation in religious practices outside school. Supplement. There will be a Holy Mass conducted for pupils on Sundays and religious holidays and at the beginning and end of the school year; For pupils applying to participate in retreats and Holy Communion, school authorities will grant — during the Lenten or Easter season — three days free of classes; school authorities will determine the hours for the schoolchildren applying for confirmation during episcopal visitation; school authorities will not create any impediments to saying prayers before and after classes for pupils willing to do so.

c. Hitherto existing schools of Catholic character will be preserved, while the Government will observe whether they loyally carry out the regulations and programme determined by the state authorities.

d. Schools run by the Catholic Church will be permitted to enjoy the same rights as public schools on the basis of general principles, determined by appropriate acts and regulations of school authorities. In case of the founding or alteration of a normal school into a school without catechism Catholic parents, if they so wish, will have the right and opportunity to send their children to schools where catechism is taught.

11. The Catholic University of Lublin will be permitted to function to their current extent.

12. Catholic associations will enjoy their current rights after fulfilling the requirements in the decree about associations. The same rules apply to Marian associations.

13. The Church will have the right and opportunity to pursue charitable and catechetical initiatives, within the limits of the regulations in force.

14. The Catholic press and publishing houses will benefit from authorisations determined by appropriate acts and regulations of authorities on the same basis as other publishing houses.

15. Public worship, traditional pilgrimages and processions will meet with no impediments. These celebrations will be negotiated by the Church authorities with the administrative authorities, for the purpose of preserving (public) order.

16. Military chaplainces will be regulated by a special statute developed by military authorities in cooperation with representatives of the Episcopate.

17. Chaplains appointed by appropriate authorities will, at the request of the ordinary, undertake pastoral care in penitentiaries. Supplement. Holy Mass, homily, confession and Holy Communion will take place on Sundays and religious holidays.

18. Pastoral care of ill people in public and local hospitals, who wish this, will be assumed by hospital chaplains, paid according to special agreements. Supplement. There will be appointed an appropriate number of chaplains to meet the needs of ill people; there will be a duty-room reserved for the chaplain; the chaplain will be able to visit ill people.

19. Convents and monastic congregations will have complete freedom of activity, within the bounds of their vocation and the laws currently in force.

Protocol of the Common Commission of the Government of The Republic of Poland and the Episopate of Poland concerning the approved agreement

In accordance with the agreement between representatives of the Government of the Republic of Poland and the Episcopate of Poland respecting the activities of Caritas and in order to normalise the relationship between the State and the Church, the Church organisation Caritas is being transformed into the Catholics Association with the mission to provide support for the poor and those in need. The Association through its activity in divisions corresponding to the administrative division of the country. [Defective in the original.] The Episcopate - in accordance with the charitable basis of the Association - will allow, within the boundaries and the practice of the Catholic Church, the participation of clergymen wishing to work in that Association. Annex. In regard to the ownership of the Church properties used by Caritas, the Government will consider the possibility of restitution of the loses through compensation from the Church Fund or by granting ownership to the Church while securing usage for the Caritas Association. [Probably should be "Catholic Association".]

The Government of the Republic of Poland in the implementation of the act [of 20 March 1950] "On takeover by the State of the mortmain properties" in accordance with Article 2.3 and Article 7.1 of that statute, [see endnote] will consider the requirements of the Bishops and Church institutions in order to acknowledge these needs and aid them.

a) Ordinaries will retain gardens and agricultural holdings up to 50 hectares with the inventory.

b) Also the seminaries will retain gardens and agricultural holdings up to 50 hectares with the inventory

c) Residential properties (lands up to 5 hectares with the properties on it) related directly to the premises of monasteries and the living and non-living inventory on those holdings will not be taken over by the State.

The Church Fund will put appropriate sums at the disposal of the Diocesian Ordinaries. In applying the statute on [compulsory] military service, military authorities will use postponements for seminarians in order to let them finish their studies and priests after the ordination and friars after taking vows will not be called to active military service, but will be allocated to the reserve to be deployed in the supporting service.

Public Administration Minister — Wladyslaw Wolski

Deputy Minister of National Defence — Edward Ochab

MP for the enactment of legislation — Franciszek Mazur

Secretary of the Episcopate — Bishop Z. Choromanski

The Plock Diocesian Ordinary — Bp T. Zakrzewski

The Lodz Diocesian Ordinary — Bp Michal Klepacz

Published in 1989 nr 17, s. 28-31.