The Attitude of State Authorities Towards the Roman Catholic Church in Opatów District in the Years 1933–1939 ; Władze państwowe wobec Kościoła rzymskokatolickiego w powiecie opatowskim w latach 1933-1939

The article outlines the image of Roman Catholic Church in Opatów District in the years 1933–1939 in the light of the reports of starostes (district/country level official administrators). Some information was supplemented with documents from church archives. The subject matter concerns two issues: the Church’s internal problems and the intersection of public and religious affairs. The former group included church celebrations, construction projects, but also conflicts in parishes, security issues and personnel changes. The starostes’ attention was drawn to the celebrations with the participation of the bishops. Much space was devoted to the feast of Christ the King, the patron saint of Catholic Action, and the anniversaries of the coronation of Pope Pius XI. There were announcements about parish retreats and missions and the religious orders involved. Pilgrimages and construction projects were rarely mentioned. The state authorities were interested in the conflicts that occurred in the parishes. The reports noted several bandit attacks on parsonages and clergy, as well as vandalism and profanity. Personnel changes in the staffing of pastoral offices were noted for parish priests, and occasionally for vicars. The second part of the article presents topics on the socio-political activity of the clergy. The starostes noted the participation of priests in patriotic and secular ceremonies. Occasionally there were references to services related to sports competitions. Echoes of current political events and celebrations related to the cultivation of the memory of Marshal Józef Piłsudski were analysed. Attention was paid to the influence of the National Party among the clergy and the impact on Catholic youth. Information about conflicts between the clergy and the radical Sanation-oriented Youth Legion was also included in the research material. Disputes between the Roman Catholic and Polish Catholic clergy were noted. Attention was drawn to several public statements by clerics against Jews, criticizing their behaviour ...