June 7, 1979
Page 13812
THE POPE'S RETURN TO POLAND
Mr. MUSKIE. Mr. President, it is most appropriate that the Senate set aside its business this morning to reflect on the return of Pope John Paul II to his native Poland.
Here in the United States, we wear our social, religious, and political freedom lightly. We are accustomed to the interplay of ideas, competition among philosophies, and proliferation of faiths which a free society allows.
We instinctively share a moral, ethical, and governmental philosophy. We debate the means to our common ends within a narrow range of options we all agree are appropriate for government.
Elsewhere, this is not always the case. Poland today is regarded as a progressive among Communist bloc nations. Yet press censorship, restrictions of movement, an active secret police, limits to religious freedom — all the approaches to social and economic growth which we know as uniquely Communist are very much in evidence.
The government professes atheism and actively discourages religious practice. It works toward rigid social prescriptions as well as economic goals. Without question, it is committed to its belief that the means and ends are in the people's best interests. And it will accept no arguments to the contrary.
Perhaps the strongest uniting force in the country is the pride of the people in their thousand-year heritage as Poles.
It is a pride faithfully nurtured through wartime devastation which is inconceivable to any who did not experience it. It is unshakable. And it is universal.
The strongest social force is the Roman Catholic Church. It is the church which acts as ombudsman for the people,which promotes civil and human rights, and which most visibly and firmly offers an opposing viewpoint. This fact has made relations between church and state uneasy at best and hostile at worst. As Karol Cardinal Wojtyla, Archbishop of Krakow, the new Pope was one of those firm voices speaking in behalf of social change.
As Pope John Paul II, he is a Polish national hero. He would be regarded as such regardless of his personality. His elevation to a post of great secular as well as religious importance makes him a source of national pride as well as national reverence.
But John Paul is also a rare and remarkable human being. His faith is deeply held and it marks his every action. It is reflected in his personal warmth and obvious love for all people.
He seems to wear the mantle of St. Peter lightly, and describes himself as the "retired Archbishop of Krakow." People respond instinctively to this unassuming humanity.
He is a man of great intellectual capacity, and has been quick to understand the opportunities for change which modern communications present.
And he is a man of great strength and courage, which have marked his every utterance during this visit. Yesterday, he called on his countrymen to share his courage, to become nonconformists, to "run risks in life."
As Archbishop of Krakow, he was known for running risks. It is a characteristic which continues to serve him well.
Viewed against this background, it is no surprise that the Pope's visit is one of the most important and consequential events in recent Polish history.
It is also no surprise that people throughout the world are observing the visit with great interest and hope.
The Pope's visit is a homecoming, and a joyous one for him and for most of the 35 million people of Poland. But it is also a visit with complex and significant social, political and religious overtones.
The Pope's visit is unique. This first Slavic Pope is the first Pope to visit a Communist country.
His visit marks the first time the Government of Poland has ever cooperated formally in any way with the Roman Catholic Church in Poland. It comes at a time when Poland is seeking to expand its relations with the West, within the context of its relationship with the Soviet Union. And it comes at a time when those contacts with the West are marred by fundamental differences in the fields of human rights.
In short, the Polish Government and the Polish people are in uncharted territory.
The Polish Government, to its credit, has been willing to make substantial compromises in making arrangements for the visit — a visit, I might add, which would pose substantial logistical and administrative challenges anywhere in the world. In Poland, where large crowds are unheard of and where such basics as convenient lodging in rural areas simply do not exist, the job is all the more difficult.
Church officials connected with the visit have also made compromises, of course.
But the key here is that for the first time, the church and the government are talking, working together and reaching agreement. How valuable those contacts will be in the future is a question with enormous long term significance in Poland.
Polish First Secretary Edward Gierek was looking forward to the visit when I talked with him during a recent visit to Poland. As he greeted Pope John Paul, he took the opportunity to encourage cooperation between church and state in the name of "further progress in the life of the society."
For his part, Pope John Paul has made the most of every opportunity to speak out on subjects of greatest concern to Roman Catholics behind the Iron Curtain.
He has reaffirmed his Slavic heritage, has demonstrated his own sense of Polish nationalism, and has been deeply moved by the warmth of his countrymen. His first gestures and first remarks concerned his native land — which he called "the roots of my light, of my heart, of my vocation."
From that base he broadened his sense of cultural pride to embrace all of Eastern Europe. "We cannot forget these brothers of ours," he said, and he prayed that his promise to remember would be heard.
And he offered a blunt challenge to the government in Poland and all Communist regimes which deny a temporal role for the church or any other group.
He pressed for guarantees of religious liberty and sought governmental recognition of "the cause of fundamental human rights."
Words like these are not lightly spoken publicly in Poland.
I believe what Pope John Paul was offering was a prescription for church-state cooperation based more on moral certainty than on political ideology. It was a counteroffer to Mr. Gierek's plea for cooperation along more limited and carefully circumscribed lines.
Whether Gierek can or will reply, and in what way, is a key question.
No one should believe that the Pope's visit will produce any instant blossoming of church-state cooperation. Church and state are fundamentally at odds on many issues. But the Pope's visit unquestionably offers an opportunity to begin a better relationship, perhaps first in Poland; perhaps eventually in all of Eastern Europe.
Millions here in the United States and throughout the world hope and pray that the opportunity is not lost.
Mr. President, I believe it is particularly fitting that we speak today of the Pope's pilgrimage home. Yesterday marked the 35th anniversary of the allied invasion of Europe, an event we view with justifiable pride.
In Poland, the Nazis had just completed construction of the railway siding at the Birkenau death camp. Later this summer the Poles will mark the 35th anniversary of the Warsaw uprising and the systematic demolition of Warsaw.
Pope John Paul visits Auschwitz-Birkenau today, to pray for the 4 million who died there at the hands of the Nazis. It is maintained by the Polish people as a memorial, and it is a place of unspeakable horror.
It is also a place of deep significance to every Pole.
It was primarily Poles and others from Eastern Europe who paid the ultimate price for that inhumanity. Poland survived. It emerged with a fierce pride in its heritage and with a deep commitment to rebuild its cities and its society.
Perhaps in the Pope's visit to Auschwitz, the Poles, and people throughout Eastern Europe, will see a symbol of what hope and human dignity can overcome.
For our part, we can also hope, and pray that the Pope's visit establishes a strong foundation for progress and human rights in Eastern Europe.
Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, will the Senator from Maine yield 5 minutes to the Senator from New Mexico?
Mr. MUSKIE. I yield to my good friend from New Mexico.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Chair might say the Senator from New Mexico has 15 minutes.
Mr. DOMENICI. I was hoping that between us we would not use the full 30 minutes. To my knowledge, the Senator from Minnesota (Mr. DURENBERGER) needs about 2 minutes.
Mr. MUSKIE. The Senator from Washington (Mr. JACKSON) will be over shortly, and he will want 5 minutes.
Mr. DOMENICI. Then perhaps I should go ahead and use my own time.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Maine has 5 minutes remaining. The Senator from New Mexico is recognized on his own time.
Mr. DOMENICI. And the Senator from Maine does not lose his time?
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator is correct.
Mr. DOMENICI. I also have 2 minutes from the leadership, and I will start by using it.
First let me say to my good friend from Maine (Mr. MUSKIE) that, knowing how proud I have been in the past as an Italian when we have had distinguished world leaders that are Italian in origin, I can understand the distinguished Senator's great sense of pride that he must have in this rather fantastic man who happens to be of the same national origin as you — this tall, tall man who just went to Poland — and I commend you for that.
Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, if I might interject for one second, as one of the three Senators of Italian descent in the U.S. Senate, I want to be associated with Senator DOMENICI's remarks.
Mr. MUSKIE. Mr. President, may I say to my friend that I take as much pride in our one Pope as you take in all the Popes of your nationality.
I was privileged to go to Rome for investiture of Pope John Paul II, and I think it was the most moving experienceof my whole life, particularly in view of the warmth of the welcome extended by the Italian people to this Polish Pope, who spoke to the world at that time in 17 languages, including, I am told, fluent Italian, and — I am also told — in fluent Polish.
Mr. DOMENICI. He says he does his worst in Italian, but perhaps that was from mere modesty or to forestall possible criticism.
I am not so sure, I say to my good friend, but that his pride in the one may be totally justified as we look at history. I am not at all sure but that that pride may be appropriate in the light of current events.
Mr. MUSKIE.I appreciate the remarksof the Senator from New Mexico, and concur completely.
Mr. DOMENICI. If I may, I will borrow a word from my good friend the Senator from Maine and call this the "invasion" by a spiritual man. The Senator commented that yesterday we celebrated the anniversary of the invasion of Normandy by military men. It appears to me that we are speaking here today because there is another kind of invasion occurring, and it probably is more significant in the course of human history than many other kinds of invasions that have occurred.
Let me start my few words about Pope John Paul II with a statement found in this morning's Washington Post, where a reporter was asking a resident of the Pope's home town, Krakow, what he thought about all this.
This fellow was in a car garage or the like, and this was his statement:
Last October he went off with a small suitcase, two rolls, a toothbrush, and some pocket change, and now look at the way he comes back here.
Thus said this average Catholic Pole, commenting on their great leader.
Now, Mr. President, I do not know what this great man will say to us if he ever comes to America. I hope he does, and I hope he has some lessons for us.
But there can be no doubt that this Pope stands tall today among men. He is not fettered as a leader with the littledaily details about what we ought to do here and there, about decontrol of oil, ships, or fiscal responsibilities. He is talking about the big things: Human aspirations and human potential, and spiritual freedom, without which the others are of little consequence.
I am reminded that a speaker from Spain, speaking to the joint session for the new king, King Carlos, made a statement that I did not quite understand until I thought about it more and more.
He said, "All significant human achievement occurs because men or women are free."
I really did not understand that because it appeared to me that for most of history men have not been free. But as I think about it he is correct, because people have been free in the course of great achievements, either because their government let them be free or because some force allowed them to be free, or their maker let them be free. And what makes this visit of the Pope, John Paul II, to Poland so significant is that he is saying to governments, "Yes, we need you. Yes, you have a rightful role. There must be some orderliness about the material world, and you have a very important role to play."
But he stops there, and he is saying, "But, no, you are not all powerful and you are not all important. There is something far more important."
That is what he is telling those over there, the so-called captive nations and their governments. That is the message to us and that is the message to history. Any government that seeks to go beyond the bounds of government and control the aspirations and freedom of the spirit of people is doomed.
It is just a matter of time. They will fail, either on a daily basis as they have in Poland, or they will fail eventually by change. For that kind of suppression has obviously failed in Poland. How else could the people all still believe and love this man, go out to meet him, go to their churches.
That system has already, on a daily basis, failed as it cannot suppress freedom, the freedom of spirit, the freedom to believe in a God and to practice as a religion one's faith in that God.
It is obvious that while what I have just said is true, I believe it to be true, we need a man like this, every now and then, to come on to this world and take that little trip and make that invasion to rekindle the spirit, and to let everyone know that what they believe is indeed true.
How proud they must be. But let me say from my standpoint I obviously cannot be as proud, at least as personally proud, as they, but I can certainly, as a believer in the Almighty and a member of a free institution in a free nation, share their pride vicariously. I guarantee you, Mr. President, that there are few events that I have witnessed in my 47 years, that I can recall, that make me more proud than this one.
I commend the distinguished Slav, and he obviously loves to be called that, Pope John Paul II.
The spirit that got him elected to that job and the spirit that moves him to these tremendous heights of leadership bring me to the floor to say thanks to him, to the spirit that moves him, and also to say, I encourage him. I encourage his people. I encourage people all over the world to listen carefully, not only to the words but to the vibrations that are coming from this episode. It assuredly seems to have some kind of cleansing power that is beyond the planned, beyond the military, beyond the rockets, beyond the bombs, of other invasions. It is something all pervasive that we all kind of hope to witness and feel but which does not happen very often.
Mr. President, I yield 2 minutes to my friend from Minnesota.
Mr. DURENBERGER. Mr. President, I rise to express my deep gratitude to the Senators from Maine and New Mexico for the thoughts they have shared with the country this morning.
In our hectic world we can be grateful there are still events of such joy and happiness that they overwhelm all our other activities. For a moment, the nations of the world are joined and we can relish the community of humankind.
The visit of Pope John Paul II to Poland has been such a cherished moment. As the world has watched, Pope John Paul has unabashedly professed his love for his fellow citizens and his native land. As one newspaper put it, the Pope truly has "indulged in moments of joy." And, he has shared those moments with the world.
The Pope's visit has had a special meaning for my family and me. My great-grandfather was born in Pilchowice, Poland, 25 miles from the Pope's birthplace, Wadowice. Several of my relatives still live near Pilchowice. Life for them has not been easy. A cousin spent 9 years in a Siberian prison camp. Another cousin works long hours in a coal mine, yet, part of the irony of life in Poland is that his family cannot get enough coal to keep them warm in the winter.
For my relatives and millions of Poles, the Pope's words of courage and cheer during his visit have given them hope. The Pope's presence has shown them the world cares; they have not been forgotten. That is the message of the Pope's visit. While we celebrate with joy, we must reaffirm our resolve to assure the freedom of all people.
The past week has also told the world something about Pope John Paul II. He is a man of great joy and deep personal warmth. He is a dedicated world leader who will not be intimidated in the face of human injustice. His words and actions during the past several days have stated emphatically that he is committed to peace and human dignity. He has told the world that his message will be heard.
My fellow Minnesotans, my family, here and in Poland, and I join the Pope in his quest for world freedom. We offer our help, our encouragement, and our prayers.
Mr. JACKSON. Will the Senator yield?
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from New Mexico has the time.
Mr. DOMENICI. I yield 5 minutes.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator only has 3 minutes. We shall use the time of the Senator from Maine to recognize the Senator from Washington.
Mr. JACKSON. Mr. President, I want to join Senator MUSKIE, Senator DOMENICl, and other colleagues this morning in reflecting on the historic homecoming pilgrimage of Pope John Paul II to Poland.
Over the centuries, in resisting tyranny, the churches have often miserably broken down. But there is also a great tradition of churches at their best — like dikes that again and again the encroaching sea of repression has come upon and found they would not give. Throughout history, there have been men and women who have said: You dare not coerce conscience. You dare not coerce worship. We must obey God rather than man.
Pope John Paul II stands in that great tradition — a wise, warmhearted and courageous spokesman for the free spirit confronting the world's coercion.
There are many things in these troubled days that the church cannot do to help, but some things are the church's special business. None is more crucial and important than to champion the cause of basic human rights.
Pope John Paul II understands this mission in a profound way. In Poland this week, he called upon Poland's Communist Government to recognize "the cause of fundamental human rights, including the right to religious liberty." He urged his bishops to seek a discussion with the government aimed at normalizing relations between church and state. "Any such discussions," he said, "must respect the convictions of believers, insure all the rights of citizens, and also the normal conditions for the activity of the church as a religious community in which the vast majority of Poles belong."
Pope John Paul II has already emerged as a statesman-pope who will both instruct and lead.
Blessed with an extraordinary ability to preach to the mind and heart, a captivating down-to-earthness and sense of humor, he delights and moves his millions of listeners.
And he has only started on his efforts to encourage spiritual and temporal reform. He said:
It is not what the Holy Spirit disposes, that this Polish Pope, this Slavic Pope, should at this precise moment manifest the spiritual unity of Christian Europe? . . . We shall not return to the past. We shall go toward the future.
Mr. MUSKIE. Mr. President, I simply want to say, in closing this colloquy, how much I appreciate the words of my colleagues, Senator DOMENICI, Senator JACKSON, and others, who have spoken here this morning. As the only Pole ever elected to the U.S. Senate and the only Pole ever elected Governor of an American State, I had sometimes felt isolated, especially as, with other Poles across the country, I viewed the oppression of my father's native land and, in a real sense, my homeland, Poland.
My entire heritage is Polish. My father came to this country from eastern Poland. My mother's parents both emigrated to this country from Poland. I have been raised by my father, who was a very articulate and patriotic Pole, in the tradition of a thousand years of Polish Catholicism and Polish nationalism. So I feel, in a way, that perhaps one who is not of Polish extraction would not understand how my father's countrymen and my countrymen in Poland are reacting to this visit of their Polish Pope.
I spent 3 days in Poland in May, at the request of the President, and visited Warsaw, talked to lay leaders of Poland, visited Krakow, Auschwitz, and Birkenau. That 3 days drove home to me what my father said to me so many times when I was a boy at his knee, growing up. He wanted to be sure I would never forget what the Polish tradition meant to me. That is what Pope John Paul II is saying to the world this week.
I did not mention this in my opening remarks, but I feel I can do so in my closing remarks: I have a deep sense of personal pride, admiration, and gratitude for Pope John Paul II.
Mr. JACKSON. Will the Senator yield?
Mr. MUSKIE. Yes.
Mr. JACKSON. I can only say to Senator MUSKIE, you can be mighty proud of your heritage.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The time of the Senator from Maine has expired. The Senator from
New Mexico has 3 minutes remaining.
Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, I say to my good friend from Maine that I am so pleased that he gave his few closing remarks, because it seems to me that we have a tendency to forget some of the background of our people. This whole country is a country of immigrants. That is what makes it strong. It is the traditions that our freedom, in a sense, permits us to keep or give away, whichever we prefer. In my opinion, strength is still here because the bulk of those traditions which are basically spiritual, are kept.
The immigrants' traditions of family, neighborliness, friendliness, thrift, pride, diligence, work — those things are what made America great and they all came with the immigrant. I think it is tremendous for history that people like the Senator state them here for the record, for all of posterity.
It has been a pleasure to share this morning with you, a great event and one of personal pride and joy to you, Senator MUSKIE. I thank you so much.
I yield back my time, Mr. President.