If we look at this phenomenon in depth, we can see the increasing eruption of infantile religion in the Church in Poland. It is hard to make the genesis of this phenomenon, but it must be pointed out that this began at the time of the emergence of charismatic movements in our country.
When we had a erstwhile strategy in Poland in 1984, Pope John Paul II organized the first Youth Days in Rome, which gathered 300,000 participants. They proceed to this day. After a large boom of freedom after 1989 in Poland, the Church tries to scope young people at all costs by doing so in an infantile way and bringing the tradition of the Church to the level of children and youth. individual might ask – what's incorrect with that, after all, we request a fresh generation of believers and practitioners? The tradition of the Church is so rich and beautiful that bringing it to the level of children and young people will make an incomprehensible message for people who have long been in the Church. This will origin any discomfort to the aged and profoundly religiously active and disgust the sincere believers.
The planet Youth Days in Lisbon in 2023 showed how the Church views young people and what position it puts towards evangelizing inexperienced youth. No one, I suspect, even Pope Francis himself, has not analysed this phenomenon in the context of any maturity and preparation for the gathering with Christ in a serious way, without degrading the rank of the Church and its meaning in the life of all man. We had a performance where youths were more crucial than Jesus Christ himself. individual might say, "Mariusz, what are you talking about? Following this event, I had the impression that youths were the main subject of this spiritual vocation. There is simply a cult of young people. Like Christ was the background of this meeting. I felt that Jesus was going to fit into this pseudoreligious event called planet Youth Day.
What got my attention most? The progressive phenomenon of sacrum profanum. The music of techno during the Eucharist served by the priest and given host in plastic bowls. This was proof of how much the Church descends to a low level only to delight young people. WYD has long been behind us, but it is time to look at the fruit of infantilizing religion in the Polish Church. Are young people arriving? Whether we have only middle-aged or aged religiously involved. An analysis must be undertaken that shows that youths, despite specified an intense change in the perception of religion in their direction – if engaged religiously, do it emotionally.
They are more charismatic than conventional piety. Could this be the future of the Church in Poland? I seriously uncertainty and we can witness the pentecostalisation of our religion, due to the fact that young people are seeking specified spirituality. There is no work for the Church, there is constant fun and excitement. And that's where rapping priests come from on Tik Toku or dancing nuns to play and to find contact with children and youth. Forgetting that Jesus Christ and the full teaching of the Church have been lost in all this infantility for 2000 years. The seriousness and mysticism of saints and martyrs who gave their lives for Christ and the Church, which is universal. We must remember that young people and children have a completely different perception of reality, and it should be assumed that they do not very much want the piety I offer for the conventional Mass. It's boring them.
After a while, we hear about various retreats conducted for children where leaders are psychomanipulating. To a certain indoctrination in charismatic and Pentecostal spirituality, as Fr.Prof. Andrzej Kobyliński frequently mentions in his articles, calling for punishment and reporting to the prosecutor the phenomenon in which children are utilized for specified forms of spiritual commitment. In a charismatic spirit, which has signs of psychotherapy alternatively than conventional religion. Infantilism in the Church besides manifests itself with another pathologies which could be observed during any of the retreats in Toruń. They took place from 27 to 29 March 2023 at the Toruń Youth Meetings at the church of Maximilian Kolbe. There was a scandalous behaviour that was recorded by 1 of the participants in this retreat. A half-naked girl kept in a cage and dragged on a leash, humiliated and beaten. Of course, not harshly, but it was a form of movement to show that the boy on phase was kicking that mediocre girl. There was a translation that this is performers and a demonstration of what sin is. The worst part is that everything was done at the church at the altar.
Question is, who's guilty? The guilty are priests who infantilate the Church by adapting it to the level of youth behavior. The guilty are rapping priests singing about the Holy Spirit to the rhythm of amusement music. We are dealing with primitiveism and the deficiency of simple culture that should be among the priests. How can we take our religion and spiritual commitment seriously erstwhile we see priests dancing and rapping? They are sweating to humble themselves just to delight the youth. The effects do not take long and WYD or retreat in Toruń are only a consequence of infantilization in the Church, which continues and reaps harvest.
Mariusz Korolczuk
photo of wikipedia
Think Poland, No. 1-2 (1-7.01.2024)