Spotlight - Karol Wojtyla

              by Artur Wielgus

          Karol Wojtyla J. P. II (1920 – 2005)

Many people know Karol Wojtyla, the later pope John Paul II, but not many people know that he first studied Polish drama at the Jagiellonian University in Krakow. University was established in 1364 by the Polish king Casimir the Great, the last King from the Piast dynasty, (who was the great grandson of King of Hungary, Bela the IV).

Later the University was renovated by the money of Queen of Poland, Jadwiga in 1400 after her death. King Casimir the Great was a brother of Jadwiga’s grand mother Elizabeth the Queen of Hungary.

Karol was amateur theater actor and wanted to become a playwright.

Not until the second World War started when Karol was forced to abandon

his university studies, because German soldiers arrested almost all of Karol’s

University professors and deported them to concentration camps in Sachsenhausen

And Dachau on November 6, 1939 (183 professors were arrested and deported, and University was closed) that Karol had first thought about becoming a priest.

It took Karol a couple of years more until he started to think about becoming a priest.

In the following year of 1940 in the middle of WWII, Karol who was 20 at the time wrote

the play Jeremiah. It is a national drama in three acts. In the preface Karol says that his nation was a bulwark of Christianity for Europe.

That is the bulwark - our glory

(You put us our Lord – as holy bulwark –

and we did not oppose your commands –

but we pinned in our armors your roses,

and with swords we guarded the borders.)

PLOT DESCRIPTION :

Wojtyla’s play, Jeremiah is about serving God and country based on true events. Father Peter Skarga was a Jesuit priest, who was a holy man and in a sense a prophet. He is the conscience of the nation. Another main character is chief commander of armed forces (hetman) Stan Zolkiewski, a holy warrior, who at the age of 73 is killed by Turks, who cut his head off at the battle of Cecora in 1620. The play contains realistic view of Poland's role in history.

Featuring holy priest, Piotr Skarga, Wojtyla mixes elements of the Old Testament with 16th Century Polish History in the middle of second World War, when Poland was attacked by Nazi Germany on September 1, 1939 and Communist Russia on September 17, 1939. This is the hardest moment in history for young Karol Wojtyla. This is as if prophecies of father Skarga are being fulfilled right there and now and Karol cannot openly talk about it, because of persecutions from occupants, who terrorize entire society, so he uses past events from the history. Young Wojtyla creates present day national drama, a theatre of the inner self. He shows that God only punishes us justly and if we refrain from sin God liberates us. Young Karol Wojtyla shows us how past faults and sins of our forefathers are affecting us. If our ancestors had been living justly, the course of history would have been altered and our forefathers would not have to bear that terrible responsibility, which transcends them.

Act I

In the vestibule of the house of God.

There is a small chapel with a light arches converging into the vault.

This chapel is as a hermitage for one pious man, who ponders about God and Homeland.

In the chapel there is the altar of God, covered with violet cloth of Lent.

The altar cover is lifted by Angels, who are standing on two pillars at the sides of the altar. Below father Peter Skarga contemplates God’s Law, holding his palms on his head. Above him on the altar of God, carved in stones, white Angels are talking.

White Angels to father Peter Skarga

Keep vigil brother. Let us keep vigil on the thoughts of prophet.

We carved in stone, we white.

People are coming to the chapel for the liturgy.

Organ music is heard and when it quiets down, animated angels on the columns talk to the prophet. They tell him that they have power to give life to other stone figures and they let him

see the vision.

Angels lift cover from the altar to let him see Jeremiah’s prophecies and future of Poland. He sees all the corruption of people who are in charge of government, church and entire country and how they make their offerings to false gods. They offend true God by dividing his church into sects. Father Peter Skarga the prophet tells these words to the noble people:

You will be bound by chains you governing Lords, you gods.

Your enemies will slaughter you as herds, they will tear you into pieces.

Smoke gradually covers them as he speaks. Only father Peter and Baruch (another prophet and a student of Jeremiah) are visible. And through the smoke is becoming visible the statue, which until now seemed to be lifeless and now it is going. It is chief commander of armed forces of Babylonian king, Nabuzardan.

Father Peter now pleads with God. Lord turn it away, do not show it to me. Angels put back the altar cover and the vision stops.

When Skarga was speaking out the words of his visions, the Kingdom of Poland was still at its greatness and it started to fall 36 years after Skarga’s death.

Victory of Hussars at Kircholm in 1605 and other military achievements under the command of Karol Chodkiewicz postponed the dangers from Sweden until 1655.

In 1648 shortly after the death of Polish king Vladislav IV at the age of 53, Cossacks made uprising against Poland. They attacked Poland together with Turks. Cossacks who were Greek Orthodox by faith tortured many catholic people to death, e.g., Jesuit priest Andrew Bobola about whom pope Pius XII wrote Encyclical letter “Invicti Athletae”.

At Yellow Waters in 1648, treason of 3000 Cossacks who were trained, armed and paid for service by Poland, rebelled against Poland, secretly joined with another Cossacks rioters, outnumber 10:1 Polish army under the command of young Stefan Potocki who was 24 years old and murdered his army after treason. That was just the beginning of a long war. There was a Polish noble man soldier called Jarema Wisniowiecki, who was the terror of Cossacks. In his youth he was Greek orthodox by faith but at the age of 20 he converted to Catholicism and all his short life he was fighting with Cossacks. Jarema was poisoned at the age of 39. In the final aftermath Cossacks asked Russia for protection.

Later by the bad deeds of corrupted reach people, entire nation was enslaved and occupied by foreign powers. Here Poland is partitioned by Prussia (Germany), Austria and Russia.

Now the corrupted people, because they lost their wealth and prestige ask God why this happened and asked God for miracles to free their country and God says to them through the mouth of prophet Jeremiah, here father Skarga:

Go! Bring offers to Baaloms. Let them free you!

That is how all the nations have to perish even the chosen one if they stray from the way of God.

In truth is freedom and greatness. In falsehood is slavery.

Father Peter Skarga says to the Lord:

The truth must be thrown into the eyes of falsehood.

Why did you put me in the place of Jeremiah in my nation?

Why did you let me see infamy?

You are not accepting any more offerings.

I am your burnt-offering.

As you can see I stand in fire.

I need you to back me up.

Cover me with an armor – black armor!

Don’t give the nation into plunder -

empower me and bless me

Now the Angels talk to father Peter Skarga, new Jeremiah:

Throw the power in the face of power,

aim for heart and pull.

Maybe you will weed it out

and you will plant there a healthy seed.

Go and stand in the vestibule of the house of God.

Proclaim what you have seen.

Go, you are the prophet. The servants (angels) are protecting you.

Church servant knocks on the door and father Peter walks out from the side chamber and he enters the chapel.

Act II

In the Church

Father Peter Skarga, the prophet is at the pulpit.

In the holy place, separated by the stairs from the church, sits parliament consisted of noble people in the pews, which are engraved with coats of arms.

Sigismundus III Rex sits in armchair with his little son Vladislav next to him

They are surrounded by Ana Jagiellon the widow and her companion, Agnes and Helen.

Around them sit elders. Among the elders are noble, reach people – earthly gods.

There is one more man, but that one stands aside alone, at the end of the steps, which lead to the pulpit. He stands contemplating deeply in his thoughts.

He is the commander-in-chief of armed forces (hetman) of the Kingdom of Poland, Stanislav Zolkiewski.

For the Father Skarga the prophet, those people in the church are only addition to his prophetic vision.

Father Skarga the prophet will talk to all of you my contemporaries who are gathered in the church and you came to hear the word and word shall be given to you says Wojtyla.

Now we hear Skarga’s voice:

Unlawful it stands, this country of yours! Yes, corrupted it stands!

You know where from this corruption? From your blindness.

From your love of sin. It stands with sins and with sins it will fall.

If I were a Jeremiah I would put a chain on my neck,

shackles on my legs, fetters on my hands to demonstrate to you

how you will be bound if you do not repent, if you do not live according to God’s law and justice. Your country is as your mother. It is as the ship.

You need to take care of your mother. You need to defend the ship.

The country is for everybody not just for you.

You need to take care of the poor.

Discord among you will bring slavery upon you,

upon your sons and torment upon your descendants.

The country is your mother. It is the holy crown.

If I were a Jeremiah I would take a pot made of clay and I would throw it against the wall

to demonstrate to you how your enemies will destroy you as this pot, whose fragments cannot be put back together, your enemies will destroy you like this – if I were a Jeremiah.

As father Skarga finishes, organ music is heard playing the psalm.

People start leaving the church, music ends.

One man, commander in chief of arms still stands

And father Skarga is coming his way.

Father Peter acknowledges and praises the hetman.

Hetman asks him for confession.

He wants to confess his thoughts.

Father Peter:

Here is the holy temple and you want to talk about other things.

Hetman:

These things are like the holy sacrament,

Secret among us, swords consecrated by your hands.

We are both serving the same Lord.

Father Peter:

I see you are strong as the column able to carry heavy load.

You will not give away Jerusalem (here Warsaw)

From any side you will not give it to enemies.

Hetman:

From populated cities to the far borders (here entire Poland)

Father Skarga:

Must on the fire great fire be thrown

And in this hatred with love we must strike.

Hetman:

I want to stop enemies with my own body.

Father Skarga:

The whisper of ages is talking through you

Hetman:

Against the falseness I go with my might and my spirit.

Father Skarga:

In my vision I saw the same things happening in Poland what had happened in Jerusalem and in Judea.

I make the sign of the cross on your forehead and I bless you in your struggles against the terrible truth of my vision.

Hetman:

We serve together the same cause.

Our agreement is as sacrament.

Father Skarga:

This is our holy covenant to serve God and country.

Brother Andrew enters with palms in his hands. He greets them and gives palm to both of them.

They greet him and father Peter asks Andrew to open missal and read aloud to them.

Andrew reads:

They will tear my body apart

and will defile it, trample and stain

* But Lord will sanctify me among nations,

will snatch the body from them and Angel will defend.

They will leave my body in dishonor, and disgrace

* bleeding body- they will throw it and leave.

Many mothers will cry and fathers,

Great and small will be grieving.

Hearts will be broken and they will doubt

if the holy Church will vanish.

Do not bury my body yet -

don’t take my fate for granted for my fate is victorious.

Dress the body in priestly garments,

in communion-cloth and priestly shroud.

You will come to take my coffin and move it

and you will see uncorrupted it stayed.

Necrosis and decay will not touch the body.

Worms will not destroy it.

Might will enter into killed body – Might of God –

They will not conquer it as it cannot be conquered.

Young ones will come to take the coffin on their shoulders

and they will see their resurrected might -

rumor will go among people and astonishment -

* that not conquered, that this body is holy.

Listen you who are going toward the city!

I gave my body to assassins in those days –

but I am with you, as athlete and herald,

for I am incorruptible and invincible.

Now Andrew closes the book.

Father Peter:

Brother Andrew! It was God speaking –

to the prophets in the testament.

In these words, you uncovered great truth.

You unsealed the secret.

* Hetman – The word was spoken by God.

Hetman:

I heard it father – astounded I am standing.

Organ music is heard. Priests are coming to the church for liturgy.

Act III

In the year of Cecora defeat of 1620.

Monks are sitting in dark church and the altar is barely visible.

Sigismundus III Rex is kneeling close to the altar.

Monks are singing Threnody of Jeremiah.

…

Adversaries of Jerusalem became her lords, her enemies are enriched: because the Lord hath spoken against her for the multitude of her iniquities: her children are led into captivity: before the face of the oppressor.

…

At the end of Threnody monks are calling the spirit of Father Skarga (he passed away in 1612).

1. Zain

Arise among us o prophet! We call you, Jeremiah!

2. Het

O arise among us, powerful! We call you, Jeremiah!

Even though your earthly toil was reached, drudgery is awaiting you yet.

After a while of silence father Peter appears among monks.

He starts preaching at the pulpit.

Father Skarga addresses the spirit of Hetman who is not yet visible.

Through the closed door I come to fulfil the Covenant.

That is how you died, my faithful brother.

Your fate was not revealed to me in my vision.

Now with the first morning light (which enters the church through stain glass windows) comes the spirit of hetman and he walks toward the altar.

Hetman is dressed in the silver armor with hussars’ wings and red coat.

Hetman speaks to Father Skarga:

From Cecora fields I came –

To fulfil the law of Covenant

Peter! From Cecora fields I came to release

what was by two of us put together into sacrament.

Father Peter:

And here I am to fulfil it as well.

Hetman:

I did everything I could,

the rest is in God’s hands.

Father Peter:

You fell on the battle field

with sword in your hand.

You died in honor.

Noble is your spirit.

Hetman:

I was going toward the holy city with struggles.

I lost because of the rebellion,

lawlessness and insubordination of troops.

One cannot change all.

I left my body on the battle field.

Father Peter:

Rebellion lost the battle, however in your life you accomplished much.

You won many battles, quench other rebellions, you conquered Moscow.

Martyr’s death is the biggest victory.

Hetman:

There at Cecora battle field I have seen the thought of God, which gives holy power to our swords.

Father Peter:

All the people need to be ready to be martyrs for truth

and we cannot defend truth without warriors

Woe to deceitful!

Hetman:

Great is the nation in unity.

Father Peter:

There is a greatness in your words.

But when there is discord then all is nothing.

There will be a man as harvest from Polish meadow -

That one who goes with God goes with Truth.

Hetman:

When my body will be back again on my soil

ransomed from wild barbarians

then I gave orders to engrave these words on my tomb,

“let the avenger be born from my bones”.

Father Peter:

With this demand you go to God for judgement?

Now we hear the trumpets of Archangels

and two angels are appearing on the altar.

Hetman:

Do you hear Peter, I am called for judgment?

Father Peter:

Holy books are closed – covenant is fulfiled.

Go in peace.

Hetman:

Remember: Poland God Almighty will judge.

Father Peter: Let God judge Jerusalem.

Hetman leaves in the streak of light.

Father Peter:

You need to die in yourself avengers - Vengeance belongs to God –

Take responsibility avengers.

Angels are playing on the trumpets.

Hetman is going to God for judgement.

Father Peter is talking with raised hands.

Krakow 1940

Karol Wojtyla later as a pope said that Poland never made offensive war on any nation.

Karol Wojtyla also wrote, Brother of our God, At the Jeweler store and other plays.

© Artur Wielgus 2007
 

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