In Memory of the late Cardinal Andrzej Maria Deskur
Pope John Paul II and Cardinal Andrzej Maria Deskur during a pre-Christmas meeting in the Vatican. (Photo by Grzegorz Galazka)
Andrzej Cardinal Maria Deskur was born on 29 February 1924 in Sancygniów, Pińczów County, on the estate of his parents Andrzej Ludwik (1895-1969) [1] and Stanisława née Kossecka (1895-1995) [2]. The progenitor of the Deskur family was the Frenchman Joachim Jan Piotr Descours (1703-1764). His ancestors returned to the Church after the Edict of Nantes was revoked. Joachim, often referred to by his third name Piotr, was an officer in the French army. For his participation in an incident in which a man was killed, he was sentenced to exile. After a few years, he was pardoned and emigrated to Poland around 1720. He found support among the supporters of the ‘Familia’ and entered the service of the Lithuanian Foot Guard, where he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel. In his old age, he settled in Husinka, which belonged to him, located near Brest-on-the-Bug. His sons received citizenship with the Polish version of the surname Deskur. As long as the Polish army existed, his descendants served in it and at the same time managed their own estates. Subsequent generations became involved in the struggle to regain Poland's independence.
Sancygniów during WW2, left: Andrzej Maria, Antoni, Stanisław, Józef
One of the most prominent members of the family was the emigrant's great-grandson, Andrzej (1825-1903) [3], born in Ruda Talubska, Garwolin County. In this generation, some of the Deskur family returned to the French pronunciation of their surname. Andrzej became involved in organised patriotic underground activities while still at secondary school. Around 1844, he left to study in Brussels, where he enrolled in the mathematics department. He interrupted his studies at the end of 1845 and returned to his country to take part in the planned fight for independence. He was arrested and sentenced to death along with other participants in the conspiracy. Several of them were hanged, and he was read a change of sentence to hard labour in Siberia at the gallows.
After 14 years, he returned as a result of an amnesty announced in connection with the coronation of Tsar Alexander II. He married his cousin Ksawera Deskur, who had comforted him during his exile with her heartfelt letters, encouraging him. He exchanged the inherited Ruda Talubska for Sancygniów and Iżykowice with his brother Jan. Moving to the southern reaches of the then Kingdom may also have been for his own safety, namely to remove himself from the areas of his former political activity. After the birth of his two sons, he became involved in organising the 1863 uprising. He served as the head of the Miechów district and then as the military organiser of the Kraków province. He got into a fight with a Russian officer and, in response, he was sent back to prison for three years, this time to the Urals, where he was treated more leniently.
Father Augustynik, the parish priest of the neighbouring parish in Książ Wielki, said at his funeral that in 1867 Andrzej returned "to Sancygniów to rebuild his ruined estate with unwavering determination after the uprising. Not only did he not squander his fortune like others, but he increased it in an exemplary manner and organised it". It was said that ‘he found Sancygniów wooden and left it brick’. He built 40 new buildings, including a palace and livestock buildings. He managed the forest properly, taught farmers to cultivate the land rationally, and opened quarries. He educated a generation of master builders. He established a nursery for the children of poor peasants and a library for the local population, for which he regularly purchased valuable books published at that time in Polish, mainly on historical topics.
In 1887, he purchased the Ostrów estate in Proszowice, covering an area of approximately 500 hectares. To quote the aforementioned funeral speech: "Andrzej was defiant towards the authorities, which caused him a lot of grief. His exile did not break him. On the roof of the palace in Sancygniów, he placed statues of Polish kings and men of merit to the homeland, which were to teach passers-by the then forbidden history of the country.
Above the entrance to the house, he placed a plaque with the inscription: ‘Built by OWPWK (Organiser of the Military Uprising of the Krakow Province) Andrzej Deskur’. After exposing this inscription, one could face serious trouble, but he certainly had some other explanation for this abbreviation up his sleeve.
He did not teach his sons in Russian, but educated them in Krakow and Prague. Józef (1861-1915) [4], Andrzej Maria's grandfather, to whom his father bequeathed his estate, completed his studies in painting, married Zofia Klemensowska and developed his artistic passion while managing the estate. For Antoni (1862-1890), a doctor of law, he foresaw a career as a civil servant in the future free Poland and therefore sent him to Austria to study his profession in conditions of political freedom enjoyed by individual nations in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. He also raised his beloved daughter Zofia, who was born after his return from his second exile, in a patriotic spirit. Her husband, Stefan Wielowieyski, was an outstanding financier and entrepreneur. He left a will disposing of his estate and recommendations for his children and grandchildren, full of faith in the advent of a free Poland and pointing to the leading role of the propertied classes in the life of the nation. His predictions came true shortly after his death.
Andrzej Deskur’s great grand father (Photo from Jan Deskur)
Andrzej Maria was born in an independent Poland. The memory of his extraordinary great-grandfather was still alive. He spent his childhood in Sancygniów. He took to heart the motto written on the palace, ‘Fais ce que dois, advienne que pourra!’, which he loosely translated as ‘Do what you must, and leave the rest to God.’
It was a call to good deeds. First, to obtain an education, and then to maintain the highest level in his status and profession, which is only possible with the cooperation of God's grace. [5] He was aware that his origins obliged him to a special nobility, that is, an attitude of the heart expressed in the defence of the faith, the homeland and the poor and suffering. [6]
He completed his primary education at home, passing the final exams for each grade every year. With the exception of the first grade in Działoszyce, he passed the rest at the St. Adalbert Public Primary School No. 2 in Krakow on Krowoderska Street.
Sancygniów before WW2, the whole family, left: Stanisław, Zofia (background - grandmother), Józef, Andrzej Maria, Andrzej Ludwik, Stanisława, second row: Maria Wanda, Antoni. (Photo from Jan Deskur)
He had four siblings. His older brother Józef (born in 1922), two younger brothers: Stanisław (born in 1927) and Antoni (1930-2008), and a sister Maria Wanda (born in 1932). Young people were expected to take their studies seriously, which took up the entire morning (lessons) and a few hours in the afternoon (doing homework and preparing for the next day). Andrzej Maria diligently performed his duties. He showed particular intellectual interests, especially in history and literature. He was very fond of Słowacki's poetry and Sienkiewicz's historical novels. He often used the library founded by his great-grandfather, consisting of about 6,000 volumes and occupying one of the larger rooms of the palace. In addition, he read books on travel and museology to his grandmother. He also looked after the ‘museum’ she had founded.
First Holy Communion (Photo from Jan Deskur)
Life in the countryside provided young people with many attractions, both sporting (horse riding, volleyball, hunting, etc.) and helping with urgent field work, where young people were allowed to drive horses. He became an altar boy at an early age. He diligently attended the church located near his home. Before World War II, Holy Masses on Sundays and holidays were celebrated exclusively in the morning. During various liturgical periods, other services were also held in the evening, e.g. May devotions and rosary services, in which he usually participated.
Andrzej Maria planned to join the army in accordance with family tradition. It was assumed that after finishing primary school, he would enter the Cadet Corps in Lviv. Therefore, it was a great disappointment when the medical commission diagnosed him with a heart defect, putting an end to this plan. From then on, he avoided strenuous activity, limited his participation in sports, and followed his doctor's recommendations for a healthy lifestyle, devoting more time to intellectual pursuits and helping his mother manage the house, garden, apiary, and ponds.
He attended secondary school in Jasło, and later in Kielce. The war interrupted his education and forced him to move to Krakow, where he completed his studies and then began studying law at secret classes at the Jagiellonian University. [6] In 1945, he obtained a master's degree in both Roman and canon law, where, as his fellow students (including Zbigniew Chojnacki) recalled, he attracted attention with his outstanding abilities and diligence. At the same time, he served as secretary of the Jagiellonian University's Bratnia Pomoc (Brotherly Aid) organisation.
Encounter with Karol Wojtyła & His Priestly Vocation
It was during this time that he first met Karol Wojtyła, a young worker and alumnus of an illegal seminary. It was then that the idea and decision matured in him to follow Jesus radically and take up priestly service in the Church community. This was the highest expression of the nobility and generosity of his heart, his readiness to commit himself completely to the cause for which the Son of God came to earth. [6]
Pope St. John Paul II wrote that Andrzej Maria, ‘as a son of the Polish land, from his earliest years followed tirelessly the Lord who had called him from his mother's womb (cf. Is 49:1)’ [7]. Immediately after completing his law studies, he expressed his desire to enter the Metropolitan Seminary in Krakow, where he was accepted that same year. There, in addition to the future Pope, he also met Franciszek Macharski. Since he was under surveillance by the Security Office, in 1948, out of concern for his safety, Adam Cardinal Sapieha, implementing his far-sighted plans for the formation of the Polish clergy, sent him to continue his studies in Fribourg, Switzerland. [8] In this situation, returning to Poland would have prevented him from travelling abroad in the future. He therefore took advantage of the kindness of the French Descours family, with whom he had established cordial relations just before the war. He spent his holidays with them during his studies and later on.
Ordination and Service in Rome
In 1950, he was ordained a priest in their parish in Saint-Bonnet-les-Oules and celebrated his first Mass. Then, in 1952, he obtained a doctorate in moral theology from the University of Fribourg, specialising in social sciences. Called to Rome in the same year, he served the Holy See faithfully for many years: in the Pontifical Commission for Cinematography, in radio and television, in the Preparatory Secretariat for the Second Vatican Council, and in various Council commissions as an expert. [7]
Cardinal Deskur in his wheelchair and full regalia.
He ended up in the Vatican, as he himself claimed, because since the time of Cardinal Sapieha, it had been customary for Polish priests to work in Vatican diplomacy or study at the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy. One such priest was Monsignor Szkiłońdź from the Apostolic Nunciature in Paris. However, due to the harsh weather conditions, he tragically died in a car accident while travelling to visit a dying man. This accident shocked France. A moving article about him appeared in La Croix entitled Le pretre. A candidate was sought for the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy to fill the gap left by the loss of Monsignor Szkiłońdź. The choice fell on Father Deskur, who came to Rome with a good knowledge of the basic European languages. He set himself three very important tasks:
The First was to Improve Relations between the Holy See and Poland.
The key issue here was the Western Territories. Thanks to his work in Vatican diplomacy, he was now able to visit his homeland and family. He accompanied Archbishop Casarole on three trips to Poland in 1966, 1967 and 1974. He also met with church dignitaries, most notably his friend, the then Archbishop of Krakow. Important conversations took place in private, often during walks in the forest. The issue of the Polish Western Territories was settled during the pontificate of Paul VI. [8] Still little known, though significant for the Church in Poland, was the participation of the then Monsignor Deskur in delicate negotiations between the Holy See and the communist authorities of the Polish People's Republic. [5] Undoubtedly, for many years, he was an informal but important spokesman for Polish affairs in the Vatican. [6]
The Second Task was to Emphasise the Polish Presence in Rome.
After Fr. Deskur's arrival in the Vatican, there was only one other Pole there – Fr. Filipiak. From the very beginning, Fr. Deskur's house was a point of support for all Polish priests working in the Roman Curia and those arriving in the Eternal City, and not only priests. [8] It was also used by the young bishop, and later Cardinal Wojtyła, who found support and guidance in his friend during his trips to Rome. It was he who introduced the future Pope to the environment he knew and showed him around. [6] Today, Poles are present in every dicastery, which Fr. Andrzej considered to be, to some extent, the result of his efforts, as even before the election of John Paul II, many clergymen from our country were already working in the Vatican, e.g. the later Cardinal Rubin, the current Primate Józef Kowalczyk, and Bishop Mokrzycki. In his opinion, Paul VI was convinced that Poles had a special role to play in the Roman Curia. [8]
The Third Issue Concerned the Beatification and Canonisation of Poles.
He wanted Poles to find a prominent place in the Album Sanctorum – The Book of Saints – a place they deserved for their contribution to holiness. [8] One example of his involvement in this field was his promotion of the mission entrusted to Sister Faustina Kowalska. It should be remembered that from 1958 to 1978, a decree of the Congregation of the Holy Office was in force, which stated that the revelations written down by her did not have a supernatural source, and therefore it was not permitted to display the image of ‘Jesus, I trust in You’, publications, public prayers and other elements of worship. Father Deskur became known as a great devotee of Divine Mercy. In 1981, he wrote the foreword to the first edition of the ‘Diary’. [9]
He was an active participant in the Second Vatican Council, making a significant contribution to the preparation of the conciliar Decree on the Means of Social Communication Inter mirifica. His apartment was the venue for the deliberations of the team which, under the direction of Cardinal Wojtyła, worked on the conciliar constitution Gaudium et spes. When, at the end of the council, Pope Paul VI celebrated Holy Mass under the confessional of St. Peter's Basilica, concelebrated with 24 of its participants, Father Andrzej Maria was also among them. [5]
Father Deskur consecrated as a bishop by Pope Paul VI in 1974.
In 1973, he was appointed President of the Pontifical Commission for Social Communications, and the following year he was elevated by Paul VI to the dignity of titular bishop of Tene. Through his ministry, he helped local churches to build community (communion) through various means of communication, including the use of new means of social communication. Being completely obedient to the Magisterium of the Church, he was concerned with defending the true teaching of the Gospel, always keeping in mind the Saviour's instruction: ‘If you remain in my teaching, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free’ (Jn 8:32). [7]
As bishop, he chose as his motto the words: ‘The truth will set you free.’ He proclaimed this Truth, that is, the crucified and risen Lord, the Redeemer of man, with his whole life. [6]
Coat of Arms of Cardinal Andrzej Maria Deskur with his Motto “Veritas Vos Liberabit.” (The truth will set you free.)
The Pontifical Council for Social Communications was established by Blessed Pius XII in 1948. In its long history, it has changed its name several times. It contributed to the creation of the Vatican Press Office and Film Library. The Press Office was initially tasked with providing pastoral care to journalists from the press, radio and television working at the Holy See. Over time, it has evolved into a centre of information about the Vatican, used by journalists accredited there. The establishment of the Film Library made it possible to collect and organise film material relating to the Vatican, which had previously been scattered, in the newly built premises of the Vatican Library and Archives. The Film Library was connected to the world's largest film libraries via a computer system.
The Vatican did not have a television station, but a Television Centre was established to document the activities of the Holy Father and the Holy See. These materials are made available to television stations, which use them in their programmes. [8] Another major achievement of this Council was the establishment of Radio Veritas, which broadcasts Catholic programmes throughout China from the Philippines. [5]
The year 1978 brought several dramatic events in the life of the Church and Bishop Deskur. Within a short period of time, two popes died and two conclaves were held. On that memorable 16th of October, he was unable to celebrate this great event in our history together with the whole of Poland. His health was critical at the time, after suffering an internal carotid artery embolism three days earlier. Immediately after his election as pope, Pope St. John Paul II, breaking with tradition, left the Vatican and went to the Gemelli Polyclinic in Rome to visit him. He said at the time:
"I have come to visit my friend, my colleague, Bishop Andrzej Deskur, President of the Pontifical Commission for Social Communications, to whom I owe so much good, so much friendship, and who now, for several days, almost on the eve of the conclave, has been in hospital in a very serious condition. I wanted to visit him, and not only him, but also all the other sick people." [8]
It was then that the whole world learned the name of Bishop Andrzej Maria Deskur. [5]
Despite the radio announcement of his death, paralysed and partially immobilised, he survived in a wheelchair for another 33 years. Only prayer allowed him to come to terms with this suffering, which he compared to the loss of freedom. Padre Pio used to say that what helps in such a situation is to give it meaning. The Holy Father sent him a cordial letter beginning with the words, ‘Now you know what your new vocation and your new mission in the Church is.’
In 1980, he was elevated to the rank of archbishop. Unable to continue directing the work of the Commission for Social Communications, he became its honorary retired president in 1984. He also remained involved in the work of various dicasteries of the Roman Curia. In 1985, when John Paul II appointed him cardinal, he said:
"I have been particularly close to him since my student days, since our “brotherly” days at the Jagiellonian University, then through the seminary, through my years as a priest, through many meetings in Rome, in particular through the last meeting that took place just before the conclave. It was then that Divine Providence touched Bishop Andrzej Deskur with the severe disability that he still carries with him today. Among all the cardinals created today, he was the only one in a wheelchair. He brings to this College a special mark, the mark of suffering. The mark of suffering that is a sacrifice. We do not know God's ways, we do not know God's mysteries, but I personally find it difficult to resist the conviction that this sacrifice of Archbishop Andrzej, now Cardinal Andrzej, was connected with the conclave that took place in mid-October 1978." [5]
Cardinal Deskur (in his wheelchair) receiving the red biretta from Pope St. John Paul II. (Photo from Jan Deskur)
The relationship between the Cardinal and John Paul II was unique. They also shared a passion for literature and poetry. Cardinal Deskur's series of theological sonnets entitled ‘Roman Sonnets’ was published in 2005. It was written after his episcopal consecration during a closed retreat in Pompeii. [10]
During his pontificate, the Cardinal was often invited by the Holy Father to Sunday dinners. The Pope, in turn, visited his friend at his home on his name day [5] and birthday, which he celebrated only every four years in leap years. Prelate Martinelli, a witness to these meetings, recalls that during Cardinal Andrzej's last name day, celebrated in the papal apartment on 30 November 2004, the Holy Father twice asked for silence in order to thank Divine Providence for the life of the celebrant and thus make it clear to everyone what a special role he had played in his life and mission. [10]
Since 1997, he has served as President of the Pontifical Academy of the Immaculate Conception, established in Rome at the beginning of the 19th century. With unceasing care, he promoted the devotion of our Blessed Mother Mary among people of culture, priests, and all the faithful, bearing witness to the veneration of the Mother of God, which he had always shown since his childhood, offering families and young people a model of how to follow Christ through Mary. [7]
On 12 October 2006, in recognition of his services to the Church and his homeland, he was awarded the Order of the White Eagle (Poland's highest distinction) at the Vatican.
A collaborator of six popes, he died on 3 September 2011 in the Vatican, on the first Saturday of the month, a day which, according to the wish of the Mother of God conveyed to Sister Lucia, the visionary of Fatima, is to be dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary. [11] Upon receiving the news of his death, Benedict XVI sent a telegram of condolence to Cardinal Dziwisz. In it, he wrote that the deceased was ‘one of the most outstanding sons of the Krakow diocesan community.’
A funeral Mass was celebrated in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome on 6 September. It was presided over by Cardinal Angelo Sodano, Dean of the College of Cardinals, on behalf of the Holy Father. [12] Cardinal Deskur's final resting place is the Basilica of St. John Paul II in Łagiewniki. The funeral ceremonies took place on 12 September 2011 at the ‘Nie lękajcie się’ (Be not afraid) Sanctuary, built on the site where the future great Pope worked in the Solvay quarries during the war. They were also presided over by a great friend of the deceased, Franciszek Cardinal Macharski. The homily was delivered by the Metropolitan of Krakow, Cardinal Stanisław Dziwisz.
[1] „Ziemianie Polscy XX w.” cz. II, DIG Warszawa 1994, s.28
[2] „Ziemianie Polscy XX w.” cz. VII, DIG, Warszawa 2004, s. 15
[3] Śliwowska W. „Zesłańcy polscy w Imperium Rosyjskim”, DIG Warszawa 1998, s.129
[4] „Słownik artystów polskich i obcych w Polsce”, tom II, D-G Wrocław 1975, s. 41
[5] Deskur P., "... resztę oddaj Bogu. Wspomnienie o śp. Kard. Andrzeju M. Deskurze, "Przewodnik Katolicki", nr 38, 18.09.2011, s.14-15
[6] "Teraz wiesz, jaka jest twoja misja w Kościele", Homilia kard. Stanisława Dziwisza, wygłoszona 12 września na uroczystościach pogrzebowych w Łagiewnikach, L'Osservatore Romano, Wydanie Polskie, nr 10-11 (337) 2011, s. 60-62
[7] List od Jana Pawła II z okazji jubileuszu 50-lecia kapłaństwa ks. Kardynała, 20.08.2000 r.
[8] „Nasz Kardynał na Watykanie” rozmowa Włodzimierza Rędziocha z kardynałem, Tygodnik Katolicki Niedziela, Częstochowa 2.04.1995, nr 14 A, rok XXXVIII, s.1,4-5
[9] Górny G., „Ufam. Śladami siostry Faustyny.”, Rosikon Press 2010, s.201,223
[10] Rędzioch W., "Dziedzictwo Kard. Andrzeja Marii Deskura", Tygodnik Katolicki Niedziela, nr 10; 4 III 2012; s. 8-9
[11] Łaszewski W., "Nabożeństwo pięciu pierwszych sobót miesiąca", Edycja Świętego Pawła, 2005
[12] "Śp. Kard. Andrzej Maria Deskur", L'Osservatore Romano, Wydanie Polskie, nr 10-11 (337) 2011, s. 60
