Rev. Franciszek Blachnicki’s social work

Abstract

Rev. Franciszek Blachnicki (1921-1987) is counted among the people who in a special way influenced the shaping of the Polish society in the period of the Polish People’s Republic. He spent the Second World War as a prisoner in Auschwitz and other Nazi camps and prisons. After the war he entered the Seminary and in 1950 he started his pastoral work. In the years 1957-1960 he developed a temperance movement – The Temperance Crusade whose central office was located in Katowice. It published its own books and periodicals and it organized numerous actions and retreats. After the Crusade was abolished by the State authorities Rev. Blachnicki started liturgical and catechetic work, initiating the Oasis Movement in 1969. The participants in this movement adopted a style of life that was different from the one popular in the Polish People’s Republic. Despite difficulties created by the communist authorities the Light – Life Movement developed dynamically, gathering 78 thousand people in summer retreats at the end of the 1980s. Because of alcoholism and social demoralization that grew in the 1970s Rev. Blachnicki initiated another temperance movement in 1979 – The Crusade for the Liberation of Man. Seeing the hypocrisy of the communist system and the propaganda of a “broad social support” in March 1980 he appealed to the Oasis participants to boycott the “election” in the Polish People’s Republic and to think over their membership in the communist party and in other Marxist organizations. In the “Solidarity” period Rev. Blachnicki prepared a special program of evangelization retreats for working people. In November 1981 he initiated an association called the Independent Christian Social Service. In 1982, in emigration in Germany, he established the Christian Service for the Liberation of Nations. The association worked for the liberation of nations that lost their statehood or independence. Rev. Blachnicki’s dynamic work was stopped by his sudden death in February 1987.