''In Poloniae annalibus'' (July 16, 1953) is a

letter Letter, letters, or literature may refer to: Characters typeface * Letter (alphabet), a character representing one or more of the sounds used in speech; any of the symbols of an alphabet. * Letterform, the graphic form of a letter of the alphabe ...

of Pope Pius XII commemorating the seven hundredth anniversary of the canonization of Saint Stanislaw and encouraging the

Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Poles Poles,, ; singular masculine: ''Polak'', singular feminine: ''Polka'' or Polish people, are a West Slavic nation and ethnic group, w ...

episcopate to be united and strong in the face of persecution.

Content

According to the letter, Saint Stanislaw was an example of steadfastness in his time and is a model for our time. As

bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is c ...

of Krakow, he was a model for piety, social engagement and courage. He dared to tell King Boleslaw his faults and sin in his face. He was tortured as a result but his mind did not bend. The Krakow faithful were enraged over this sacrilege that they forced the king to abdicate. He went into exile for the rest of his life. The bishops of Poland display the same fervour and the same love as the faithful in those days. Indeed, their trials are very comparable to those of Saint Stanislaw. A night of terror has descended over faithful

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...

. But in the darkness of night shine the stars of

loyalty in such a way, that the whole world watches in admiration. Many Poles lost everything, because they defended their faith. Many lost their lives. Many bishops, priests and

Religious Religion is usually defined as a social- cultural system of designated behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics, or organizations, that generally relates humanity to supernatur ...

were incarcerated, sent to

Siberia Siberia ( ; rus, Сибирь, r=Sibir', p=sʲɪˈbʲirʲ, a=Ru-Сибирь.ogg) is an extensive region, geographical region, constituting all of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. It has been a ...

, robbed of all rights, tortured, maligned and falsely accused of all things, for one reason only: They were messengers of Christ. Average and dispirited persons cannot understand this, but eternal honour is certain all those, who gave everything. They are the true successors of Saint Stanislaw. His virtues continue to flourish among the Polish people. It may take time, but the powerful blessings of all these sacrifices will later bear rich fruit. Pope Pius XII reviews Polish history in order to show how Polish loyalty and faith, following the example of Stanislaw, was always victorious. Saint Stanislaw this is not only a saint of virtue but of justice as well. And the Poles, who were divided at the time unified around the relics of the great saint. He admonishes the episcopate to maintain the same unity.Poloniae Annalibus 8

References

Sources

*In Poloniae annalibus, Acta Apostolicae Sedis, AAS, 1953, 498 {{Persecution of Christians Holy See–Poland relations History of Catholicism in Poland Persecution of Catholics during the pontificate of Pope Pius XII Pope Pius XII apostolic writings Catholic theology and doctrine 1953 documents 1953 in Christianity