Działania władz komunistycznych wobec Wyższego Seminarium Duchownego w Białymstoku na przełomie lat pięćdziesiątych i sześćdziesiątych XX wieku

Abstract

Since the moment of coming into being the Seminary in Białystok was in the sphere of interest the omnipresent secret police after the Second World War. According to the secret police, it was negative to familiarize seminarians with structures of teenager organizations, namely with the Scouts; the meetings of ex-scouts and the symphatizers of the organization which took place in Białystok were not positive, either .The statements and seminarians’ attitudes towards the Seminary in Białystok aroused the interest of the secret police. At the turn of 50s and 60s there was a period of official ‘political thaw’ nevertheless, it was a period of priests which –hunt and an attempt of taking supervision over seminaries by authorities. In province Białystok the situation in the Seminaries was analyzed by the secret police, emphasising the low recruitment standards which were caused by the seminarians military conscription. The official actions of administrative authorities met with bishop Władysław Suszyński resistance which was gradually breaking down. The restrictions on his activity were being developed in the next years, as an example of restrictions could be a telegram sent by the Religious Office in Warsaw to Religious Departament of the National Council Presidium in Białystok on 29th June, 1965. It was indicated in the message that there were possibilities of negative consequences in relation to the Seminary in Białystok because of the Seminaries’ definitely negative attitude towards authorities and law regulations.