The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1922-11-25
Polish BISHOPS
DISCUSS PLANS
WILL FORM ASSOCIATIONS FOR
YOUNG PEOPLE AND EN-
COURAGE SOCIAL Ac-
TON.
IN. G. w. G. News Service. !

NAS. S.AstNs NJ E4NCW0 f0C4 FlSC.J 1l
Several questions of the utmost i'm
portance to the Church and to nation
al life were discussed by the Bishops
at the recent annual meeting of the
Polish Hierarchy, at Posnan, Poland.
These meetings, which were impos.
sible before the reconstruction of
Poland, are a dominant factor in the
work of Polish reconstruction and
unity, as they tend to restore uni
formity to those Polish dioceses
which, while under the domination of
three distinct empires, were unable
to retain the homogeneity they pos
sessed before the ACKNOWLEDGMENT of
Poland. One of the principal tasks I'M
dertaken by the Bishops is that of
making it possible for Catholicism,
which was oppressed by hostile gov
ernments, to develop a new life. To
this end, the formation of Catholic
organizations such as exist in other
countries, but which were hitherto pro-
-hibited in Poland, will be encouraged
by every possible means, as will Cath
Ollie and social action on the part of
the clergy. The Bishops have all
agreed on establishing in every do
cese associations of Catholic young
people and Catholic labor unions.
Another question to which attention
is being devoted by the Bishops of
their annual meetings is the support
OF the clergy. The governments which
formerly divided Poland, especially
the Russian government, confiscated
property belonging to the Church, and
administered all Church property on
the pretext of relieving the clergy of
this responsibility. In return the gov
eminent paid the clergy a very mea-
ger stipend. The present Polish
Diet has voted that the adjustment of
the question of Church property must
be made in concert with the ecclesias-
teal authorities. The intention of the
government is to take possession of
peasants, and compensate the clergy
by providing for it's support Such a
project obviously presented great
difficulties, and the negotiations are
proceeding very slowly. A mixed
commission has been formed, compos-
ed of an Ecclesiastical or Papal Com
mission appointed by the Holy Fa-
Their, and including five archbishops,
several bishops and some superiors of
religious orders, and a Government
Commission" made up of represents
tives appointed by the government.
This joint commission will endeavor
to overcome all the difficulties now
preventing settlement of the ques-
ton.
The education of the clergy is an
other subject discussed by the last
meeting of the hierarchy. In the three
parts of Poland governed by Germany,
Austria and Russia, different require.
ments existed for seminarians. It is
now proposed to establish uniformity
in the various dioceses and raise the
standards wherever they are found
to be low. Since Poland regained her
freedom, two new schools of theology
have been opened, one at the Uni.
,versity of Warsaw, and the other at
Lublin, the Catholic University found
ed in 1918.
The first meeting of the Polish hier
archy took place in 1917, on the oc.
casion of the centennial of the .crea.
ton of the archiepiscopal see of War.
saw. Since the final reconstruction OF
Poland, these meetings have taken
place every year. In 1919 the hier.
archy met at Gniezno, in 1920 at
Czestochova, in 1921 at Cracow, and
this year again at Czestochova.