To the Polish Community in Vienna (12 September 1983)

On Monday, 12 September 1983, the Holy Father addressed the Polish community in Vienna. In his speech, the Pope commemorated the 300th anniversary of the Battle of Vienna. "We want to express the deepest gratitude to Almighty God because He is the God of history, of men and of the nations that He chose as 'his inheritance', preserving them from sometimes mortal trials and experiences." 

Dear Brothers and Sisters
Venerated Compatriots!

1. I thank God for the grace of this moment and for the opportunity to meet my compatriots in Austria. I welcome and greet everyone, each one in a particular way.

First of all, I greet the Archbishop of Vienna, Cardinal König, a great friend of Poland. I greet, present here, the Cardinal Primate, the Cardinal Metropolitan of Krakow, all the Polish Bishops as well as, dear to us, the Bishops of the fraternal country of Czechs and Slovaks. To Bishop Szczepan Wesoly, Deputy Delegate for the pastoral activity of Polish Communities abroad, I thank him for the speech he gave. I cordially greet all the priests, pastors, diocesan and religious priests of the place and, in particular, the Priests of the Congregation of the Resurrection of Our Lord. It is precisely from their Church that I came here. I take this opportunity to once again thank you for the hospitality with which I and the other Polish Bishops were welcomed on my trip to Rome. I extend a particularly cordial welcome to those present here, your sons and daughters, young people and children, to all who came to this meeting guided by faith, hope, love and fraternal solidarity. I greet in the same spirit the representatives of other confessions and all visitors. I sincerely thank you all for your presence and testimony.

2. "Happy is the nation whose God is the Lord, and the people whom He has chosen for His inheritance" ( Ps . 33/32, 12).

I begin my speech with these words from the Psalm, as they express the most elementary truth, that is, that God, our Father and Creator who inscribed His laws in human hearts, is the God of history; He is — as once in the sign of the pillar of fire before Israel that walked in the desert towards liberation — on the path of every man, of all men and of all nations, and is for them the ultimate destiny and full fulfillment.

Through the Covenant established with humanity in Jesus Christ, God chooses and receives each person and each people as "his inheritance", and fidelity to this covenant makes Him their Lord and Liberator. Human life, as well as the life of each society and its coexistence, always remain in reference to the supreme authority of God himself. And this reference is not only the relationship between the Omnipotent Creator and the creatures subject to Him, but in Christ, Son of God and the Virgin of Nazareth, it acquires a family character: we are children of the One God and among ourselves brothers. Only in this reference does the good of each person and even the common one become the true good.

Faced with the threats, misfortunes and scourges of each day, of which we are witnesses and participants, the Church observes with greater concern what is within man, his spirit; she also observes the spirit of the nations as she considers care, salvation, and the future in spiritual growth. Observe the spirit of the nation, as this is not just a community of individuals linked with weak ties, but is a particular synthesis of language, way of thinking, value, experience, faith, tradition and civilization, that is, of culture in its sense wider. This synthesis is created by individual men, but also the spirit of the nation in a certain sense creates each man and forms all generations. It is for them strength and inspiration to always create new values ​​and shape the image of life in their homeland and family, in building the future.

3. And precisely in this spirit we want to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the battle of Vienna. We want to express the deepest gratitude to Almighty God because He is the God of history, of men and of the nations that He chose as "his inheritance", preserving them from sometimes mortal trials and experiences. We want to express the deepest gratitude to Almighty God because he gave our parents the audacity and strength. Here in Vienna, we want to honor the memory of King Jan III Sobieski because he defended his homeland threatened by the enemy and committed himself to defending Europe, the Church and Christian culture, when they were faced with mortal danger. We want to thank God for the victory obtained 300 years ago. We remember the armies, led by the King, among whom above all our compatriots, knights who fought in Vienna. We remember their sacrifice and courage and we pay honor to these qualities they brought and with which, in them and through them, God won. May the perpetual light illuminate them, and may the same light of God illuminate our paths, the paths of contemporary generations of our brothers and sisters in our homeland and throughout the world. May this light everywhere lead to the victory of just reasons, the just cause of good, truth, love and human, interpersonal and international solidarity.

4. In a moment we will pronounce our confession of faith in God, which at the same time is a confession of faith in man, since the greatness and dignity of man are born from the fact that he was created in the image and likeness of God, he was redeemed and received the strength to become a child of God and participate in the life of God himself; who is immortal though he must die.

My pilgrimage in Austria and also this meeting with my compatriots who have settled or remain only momentarily in this country, take place — as you know — in the year of the extraordinary Jubilee of the Redemption.

This year we remember in a special way the work carried out by Christ on Calvary around 1950 years ago.

We remember the Cross of Calvary and we remember the Resurrection, to which this Cross opened the way. Without the Resurrection, the Cross and Death would have been a tragedy for man and humanity. If Christ had not risen, our faith would be vain, writes Saint Paul, the Apostle of Christ (cf. 1 Cor. 15, 17). But He came to die and rise again so that we might have life, and that we might have it in abundance (cf. John 10:10). "Christ suffered for you... He who bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we, having died to sin, might live to righteousness: By His stripes you were healed'" ( 1 Pet. 2 , 21-24).

This victory is the gift of love, and it was achieved through love. From that moment on, "the Cross became a symbol of victory through love, and announces to man that his cause has won; that even in the face of defeat, humiliation and deprivation of freedom, man is freed; that this will never happen again." a situation capable of defeating him, of taking away his faith in the future. "Christ destroyed death and radiated light of life and immortality through the Gospel" ( 2 Tim . 1, 10). , we confess: I believe in the remission of sins, in the resurrection of the dead and in eternal life. May this remain in You as the fruit of the Year of Redemption and our meeting.

5. Brothers and Sisters. I know at least in part your suffering and your bitterness, linked to the torment of emigration. Perhaps you did not foresee many of these sufferings; From time to time you may have wanted to give in to the numerous trials and temptations that have presented themselves to you in this new world. I will not list them here, know them well. But I ask you: do not let yourself be seduced by any force or illusion. Be matured by the maturity of faith, and strong with the strength of the Spirit. Strive for the good of yourself and your families; that these families are faithful to the evangelical law of love and schools of faith. Work for the good of the community you chose and in which you have chosen to live. Be grateful for all the good and know how to forgive as Christians. Keep your name and that of the land in which you grew up good. Preserve and multiply the heritage you bring with you. Be faithful to him in all that is good. This is the way to save your own dignity and to cherish that of others.

Do not allow your spirit to be reduced to the level of any materialism. Through parishes, maintain and deepen the bond with the Church. In his Sacraments I opened for you the sources of the Redeemer's graces.

6. I would like, with great confidence, to direct your gaze and your hearts to the Mother in Jasna Góra, to whom I entrust the destiny of my compatriots in the Fatherland and elsewhere. I entrust all of you to Him, because Jasna Góra is a sign and source of values ​​that come from God, form the spirit and hearts of men, inhabitants of our land, illuminate darkened eyes with hope and transform even defeat into victory.

Our poet, in one of his poems, when calling God the Lord of the world adds with great simplicity: "Do you know where I have been, / where I learned it? / ..." / I'm from Czestochowa son, / that's where I'm going ; / although I'm far away, / I do it willingly" (CK Norwid).

With such feelings, let us ask God through the intercession of our Mother, Queen of Jasna Góra: I will build, Lord, our house. Guard your city (cf. Ps . 126/127, 1). i Before we renew together the promises of holy Baptism, I would like to greet our Czech and Slovak Brothers present here at this meeting with the Pope.

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