The film, entitled Wyszyński - Revenge or Forgiveness, tells the story of Lieutenant Stefan Wyszyński, an underground Home Army chaplain who during the Warsaw Uprising operated under the pseudonym “Radwan III.”
“It's a production in which everyone will find something for themselves, regardless of whether they're believers or not, because it's a movie about a man, his problems and dilemmas, in the face of war,” director Tadeusz Syka told public broadcaster Polish Radio.
Wyszyński is played by Ksawery Szlenkier, who said the movie let him discover a hidden truth about the cardinal, who during the uprising struggled with suffering, pain, death, and served young people as a chaplain.
“It was a picture of a sincere, good man,” the actor added.
The Polish Ministry of Culture, National Heritage and Sport helped make the film.
Wyszyński was ordained a priest in 1924 at the age of 23. He then studied in Poland and abroad for several years before taking residence in the city of Włocławek, north-central Poland, where he taught at a seminary and served the local community.
After World War II, Wyszyński was made a bishop and received a cardinal’s red hat in 1953. From 1948 until his death he was at the helm of the Catholic Church in Poland as its Primate.
Wyszyński was also known for his resistance to communism and for his efforts to protect the Catholic Church when Poland was under communist rule. Between 1953 and 1956 he was imprisoned by the communists.
He died of cancer on May 28, 1981, at the age of 79.
Last Sunday, Wyszyński was beatified together with Róża Czacka, a blind nun who devoted her life to helping others who could not see.
In the Catholic Church, beatification is one step short of being declared a saint.
(jh/gs)
Source: IAR