Abstract

The article presents an overview of the analysis of the principles of national pedagogy formulated by members of the Congregation of the Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ and the circle of people close to it (“external brothers”). The pedagogy was based on the conviction that since the Partitions, the Polish territories have been the site of “moral and spiritual battle” (Walerian Kalinka). The captivity of the partition period was not only a political enslavement, but also carried serious dangers for the Poles to preserve their national identity based on the Christian cultural code. The partitions – as claimed by the Resurrectionists and the “external brothers” – were a revolution of their own, but also encouraged the emergence of a revolutionary situation in the lands of divided Poland, either through the simplified reception of “Western-revolutionary currents” (Hieronim Kajsiewicz), or by revolutionizing Polish society through the destruction of its organic social ties. As a basic remedy for such a state of affairs, the Resurrectionists and “external brothers” indicated that the Poles needed to preserve the Catholic faith and the morality that flows from it. This is a basic condition for the Polish nation to maintain its prospects for political revival. This, in turn, also requires “forethought patriotism” and nurturing “organic works” (Jan Koźmian). According to the author of the article, the national pedagogy formulated that way, indicating life in accord­ance with the Christian faith and morality as a basic condition for the Polish nation to regain its freedom, was taken up and developed by the great teaching and pastoral programs of the Blessed Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński and St. John Paul II.