Organization of the Polish Pastorship in West Germany Area (1945-1975)

Abstract

The paper is part of a more extensive work entitled „The Polish pastorship in West Germany after 1945”. It aims at presenting organizational and legal matters concerning the Polish pastorate in Germany. At the end of the war, in May 1945, in the former Third Reich area the Polish population counted approximately 2 mln with about 850 priests. These clergymen, before returning to Poland or emigrating to other countries, took up pastoral work among the liberated compatriots. First of all, they created organizational frames for the pastorship. In the first period (April-June 1945)' they were organizing the pastorship on jurisdiction obtained from the ordinaries. In the American zone almost all the priests were aggregated in the concentration camp Dachau. After tits liberation, Rev. Franciszek Jedwabski (later Bishop Auxiliary of Poznań) organized, as a temporary central agency, the Polish Pastorship Headquarters situated in Freimann nearby Munich. In the British zone the pastorship was organized by Rev. Col. Franciszek Tomczak, dean of the First Armoured Division, Rev. Lt.-Col. Jan Wojciechowski SJ, Rev. Maj. Walerian Pączek SAC, and others. Very helpful were the chaplains of the Polish Armed Forces in-the-exile. The proper organization could, however, come only after nomination of an ordinary. The Apostolic See, well acquainted with the demographic situation of the displaced population in the former Reich area, created on 5 June 1945 Rev. Dr. Józef Gawlina, The Field Bishop of the Polish Armed Forces in-the- -exile, an ordinary for Poles in Germany and Austria, giving him all plenipotencies. This function he performed till his death, i. e. till 21 Sept. 1964. Bishop Gawlina came to Germany on 25 June 1945. There he started canonical visitations of Polish centres and brought into being a diocesan chaneefy for Poles in Germany, at first in Freimann and from September 1945 in Frankfurt/M. As vicar general and chancery director he appointed Rev. Jedwabski and, after 13 Nov. 1945, Rev. Edward Lubowiecki. The whole West Germany area, according to ecclesiastic practice was devided into more than ten deaneries, directed by dean-priests appointed by him. Now (1975) there exist 4 deaneries: Bavarian, Stuttgartian (Wurtembergian), Ba- denian and Northern. A separate deanery was set up for the pastoral care over the American Army’s guard-services.

After bishop Gawlina’s death the Holy, See, on 20 Nov. 1964, created Rev. Edward Lubowiecki the ordinary and canonical supervisor for Poles in Germany. The office was performed by him till his death on 12 Dec. 1975.

In December 1945 the Polish pastorate in West Germany counted 502 priests, while in 1975 — 37.