Invicti Athletae
Encyclopedia
Invicti Athletae is an encyclical
of Pope Pius XII
to the Polish
bishops and faithful on the 300th anniversary of the martyrdom of Saint
Andrew Bobola
.
was a Polish national hero
. In 1657, he was brutally slain by Russia
n occupiers, who even kept his deceased body. In 1923, Vladimir Lenin
permitted the transfer of the relicts of Andrzej Bobola to the Vatican with the stipulation that they never be forwarded to Poland
, since Bobola continued to stimulate anti-Russian sentiments in Poland. April 1938 Pope Pius XI
canonized Bobola and sent his relics to Poland where, on June 17, 1938, he received a tumultuous and emotional welcome in Warsaw
. Polish President Moscicki led the ceremonies with a flaming nationalist speech. In a grandiose gesture, he solemnly took off his own Cross of Merit Polonia Restituta, and placed it on the remains of Bobola. The Polish Communist Party was forced to disband on Bobola day June 17, 1938. Catholic theologians like J. Pastuszek openly blamed the Jews
for the existence and spread of Communism
In the following weeks, anti-Russian and anti-Orthodox emotions climaxed in Poland. Some 138 Orthodox Churches were burned or destroyed. Oriental Catholic Orthodox Churches, who, because of previous persecution under the Tsars, were equally opposed to the Russian Orthodox Church, found their churches and institutions vandalized by Polish authorities as well. A few years later, the Polish Church, now under Stalinist persecution, celebrates the anniversary of the martyrdom of Bobola, which is the reason for the encyclical of Pope Pius XII.
The Pope asks for endurance and bravery. The people and clergy must overcome many obstacles, and even sacrifices in time and money, but they must never give in.
Pius comforts his Polish brothers saying that everywhere, there is always a bit of martyrdom in Christian day to day life, if one strives for perfection. Bobola is a model saint because he kept his faith intact and defended it with all means. Polish people should "look to the reward God promises to all who with perfect fidelity, unflagging readiness, and burning love live, labor, and strive to defend and spread throughout the world His Kingdom of peace".
Encyclical
An encyclical was originally a circular letter sent to all the churches of a particular area in the ancient Catholic Church. At that time, the word could be used for a letter sent out by any bishop...
of Pope Pius XII
Pope Pius XII
The Venerable Pope Pius XII , born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli , reigned as Pope, head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City State, from 2 March 1939 until his death in 1958....
to the Polish
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
bishops and faithful on the 300th anniversary of the martyrdom of Saint
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
Andrew Bobola
Andrew Bobola
Andrew Bobola was a Polish missionary and martyr of the Society of Jesus, known as the apostle of Lithuania and the "hunter of souls".-Biography:...
.
Background
Andrzej or Andrew BobolaAndrew Bobola
Andrew Bobola was a Polish missionary and martyr of the Society of Jesus, known as the apostle of Lithuania and the "hunter of souls".-Biography:...
was a Polish national hero
Hero
A hero , in Greek mythology and folklore, was originally a demigod, their cult being one of the most distinctive features of ancient Greek religion...
. In 1657, he was brutally slain by Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n occupiers, who even kept his deceased body. In 1923, Vladimir Lenin
Vladimir Lenin
Vladimir Ilyich Lenin was a Russian Marxist revolutionary and communist politician who led the October Revolution of 1917. As leader of the Bolsheviks, he headed the Soviet state during its initial years , as it fought to establish control of Russia in the Russian Civil War and worked to create a...
permitted the transfer of the relicts of Andrzej Bobola to the Vatican with the stipulation that they never be forwarded to Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, since Bobola continued to stimulate anti-Russian sentiments in Poland. April 1938 Pope Pius XI
Pope Pius XI
Pope Pius XI , born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti, was Pope from 6 February 1922, and sovereign of Vatican City from its creation as an independent state on 11 February 1929 until his death on 10 February 1939...
canonized Bobola and sent his relics to Poland where, on June 17, 1938, he received a tumultuous and emotional welcome in Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
. Polish President Moscicki led the ceremonies with a flaming nationalist speech. In a grandiose gesture, he solemnly took off his own Cross of Merit Polonia Restituta, and placed it on the remains of Bobola. The Polish Communist Party was forced to disband on Bobola day June 17, 1938. Catholic theologians like J. Pastuszek openly blamed the Jews
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
for the existence and spread of Communism
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
In the following weeks, anti-Russian and anti-Orthodox emotions climaxed in Poland. Some 138 Orthodox Churches were burned or destroyed. Oriental Catholic Orthodox Churches, who, because of previous persecution under the Tsars, were equally opposed to the Russian Orthodox Church, found their churches and institutions vandalized by Polish authorities as well. A few years later, the Polish Church, now under Stalinist persecution, celebrates the anniversary of the martyrdom of Bobola, which is the reason for the encyclical of Pope Pius XII.
The encyclical
Pope Pius describes the suffering of this Polish hero saints in concrete words. But, he continues, in our days, the Catholic religion has been exposed to grave danger. The haters of God and enemies of Christian teaching attack Jesus Christ and his ChurchChristian Church
The Christian Church is the assembly or association of followers of Jesus Christ. The Greek term ἐκκλησία that in its appearances in the New Testament is usually translated as "church" basically means "assembly"...
The Pope asks for endurance and bravery. The people and clergy must overcome many obstacles, and even sacrifices in time and money, but they must never give in.
Pius comforts his Polish brothers saying that everywhere, there is always a bit of martyrdom in Christian day to day life, if one strives for perfection. Bobola is a model saint because he kept his faith intact and defended it with all means. Polish people should "look to the reward God promises to all who with perfect fidelity, unflagging readiness, and burning love live, labor, and strive to defend and spread throughout the world His Kingdom of peace".
- Act boldly, but with that Christian promptness of soul which goes hand in hand with prudence, knowledge, and wisdom. Keep Catholic faith and unity.