On May 19th and 20th two exhibitions about Stefan Wyszyński – a Cardinal, Primate of Poland and an oppositionist to the communist regime in Poland were opened in Rome. They were prepared by the Institute of National Remembrance and the Museum and Poland’s Embassy to Vatican City state.
Stefan Wyszyński (1901-1981) was one of the most important figures of the Polish Catholic Church in the 20th century. He was the archbishop of Warsaw, the Primate of Poland and a cardinal created by Pope Pius XII. He also encouraged Karol Wojtyła to During the communist rule in Poland, the authorities tried to eradicate religion from public life. Wyszyński strongly opposed that, for which he was imprisoned for three years. To commemorate his impact, he’s often called the Primate of the Millenium.
The first exhibition is titled just “Stefan Wyszyński” and is placed in a lounge next to the Basilica of the Saint Stanislaus of Poles. It presents the most important biographical parts of his life and his impact on the development of the Catholic Church in Poland after World War II. The exhibition includes photographs of Wyszyński and excerpts of his sermons.
The second exhibition – “Wyszyński and Wojtyła’s Grammar of Life” is placed at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross. The title was taken from John Paul II’s “grammar of life”, or the philosophy that he followed in his life. It consists of quotations of Primate Wyszyński’s and the Polish Pope’s sermons printed on photos of them during important moments in Polish recent history. The entries to both exhibitions are free.