The Provincial Council of Franciscans in Gdańsk has appealed to President Andrzej Duda to award the Order of the White Eagle, Poland’s highest state decoration, to WWII heroes Father Maximilian Kolbe and the Ulma family. This request follows the removal of exhibits honoring these figures from the Museum of the Second World War in Gdańsk.
Controversial Museum Decision
In a letter to President Duda, the Franciscans expressed concern over the museum’s decision to remove the objects commemorating Saint Maximilian Kolbe, the Blessed Ulma family, and Captain Witold Pilecki. They argue that this action suggests a dangerous societal narrative in Poland, implying that being Catholic and adhering to evangelical values is a reason for exclusion from national memory and a source of embarrassment.
The Franciscans emphasized that recent events and statements made at the museum seem to push a harmful discourse that marginalizes Catholic values. They urged the president to take initiative to counteract this trend, which they believe is detrimental to the collective memory and identity of the Polish nation.