The Religious Aspect of the Patriotic Ceremonies at the Threshold of the Grand Duchy of Warsaw November 1806 – April 1807 (in the Light of the Reports from the Warsaw Press)

Abstract

The paper discusses the issue of the participation of the Catholic clergy in arousing patriotism and its support for the restoration of the Polish army and the Polish statehood in the first six months after the Napoleon armies had encroached the territories of the Prussian partition in 1806. The pastoral letters issued then testify to the clergy's attitude, as well as their participation in numerous patriotic ceremonies, occasional sermons, and above all the liturgical setting for those ceremonies. These were mainly blessings of regimental standards, taking an oath by new soldiers, blessings and ceremonial placement of the Polish emblem on the public buildings – the White Eagle. Of these events informed the then Warsaw newspapers, especially the “Gazeta Korespondenta Warszawskiego i Zagranicznego.” Obviously, the press reports had an additional task aside to informing society. It was the task of propaganda.