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Pope recalls Poland’s vows to Mary under communism

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2 hours ago

August 26, 2026

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Greeting Polish pilgrims gathered to renew the Jasna Góra Vows of the Polish Nation, 70 years after they were first made in 1956, Pope Leo XIV said the vows’ call for moral renewal remains relevant today.

By Fr. Łukasz Bankowski

“I cordially greet the Poles. I join spiritually with those gathered in Częstochowa,” Pope Leo XIV said during the Wednesday General Audience.

The Pope recalled the Jasna Góra Vows of the Polish Nation, one of the most significant events in the history of the Church in post-war Poland, when, under communist rule, the Church became one of the principal defenders of religious freedom and the spiritual identity of the Polish people.

Written by Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński while interned by Poland’s communist authorities, the text of the vows was first read before around 500,000 faithful.

“May the program of society’s moral renewal contained in them, through the protection of human life, care for marriage and the family, and the education of children and young people, continue to inspire the building of justice and fraternity,” the Holy Father said.

Renewal of the Jasna Góra Vows of the Polish Nation, 70 years after they were first made in 1956. It is presided by the Primate of Poland, Archbishop Wojciech Polak, with bishops and numerous faithful who arrived on foot pilgrimages in attendance.

The Primate wrote the Vows while interned

Behind these words lies the story of how the vows came to be. In 1956, Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński, Primate of Poland, had been interned by the communist authorities for nearly three years.

During his confinement, he became convinced of the need for the moral renewal of a society scarred first by the tragedy of the Second World War and then by repression under the communist regime.

What did the Poles promise?

The Poles pledged fidelity to God, the Cross, and the Gospel; the defense of human life; care for the stability of marriage and the family; and the Christian education of children.

They also committed themselves to combating alcoholism, recklessness, and wastefulness, as well as to promoting honest work and mutual respect.

The vows also envisioned a Poland free from “hatred, violence and exploitation”, in which the fruits of work would be shared so that there would be no “hungry, homeless or weeping.”

Seventy years later, Pope Leo XIV returned to this message. As the Pope stressed, the program written by the Primate while he was deprived of his freedom should continue to inspire the building of justice and fraternity.