Polish archbishop condemns “fear and hate” of migrants as unchristian

Keep our news free from ads and paywalls by making a donation to support our work!

Notes from Poland is run by a small editorial team and is published by an independent, non-profit foundation that is funded through donations from our readers. We cannot do what we do without your support.

One of Poland’s most senior church figures, Cardinal Grzegorz Ryś, the archbishop of Łódź, has condemned recent “hate and fear” expressed towards refugees and migrants.

He says that such attitudes are contrary to the teachings of Christianity, which emphasise welcoming strangers, the “unity of the entire human race”, and that “everyone has the right to choose a place to live and to be respected in that place”.

His remarks come amid particularly heated debate over migration in Poland. Last week, the Polish government complained to the Vatican over anti-migrant remarks by two Polish bishops. Meanwhile, thousands of people attended anti-immigrant protests around Poland on Saturday.

In a pastoral letter published on Sunday and read out in churches in his diocese, Ryś began by recalling the biblical story of how Abraham welcomed three strangers who appeared near his tent. He also quoted the words of Jesus: “I was a stranger and you welcomed me.”

The archbishop then noted that, “for several weeks and months, the dispute over refugees and migrants has been fueling public discussion and actions that – often citing Christian motivations – in reality have little to do with Christianity”.

Some of these words and actions even “undermine truly evangelical initiatives”, he added, citing criticism of the migrant and refugee assistance centres run by Caritas, the Catholic church’s charity arm.

“Hate, fear of the ‘other’, and stereotypes are becoming arguments more important than human and evangelical reason,” he warned. “The prevailing discourse both harms newcomers and undermines the initiatives, motivations, and strength of those who want to help them.”

Ryś then explained that “Catholic social teaching (which so many cite…) clearly states that EVERY PERSON has the right to choose a place to live; and has the right to be respected in that place for their beliefs, culture, language, and faith”.

“Christianity is not a tribal religion, but – as the ecumenical council teaches – a revelation of the ‘unity of the entire human race’,” he added.

The archbishop made clear that what he is saying “is not politics, and it is not a call for political action”. Rather, “it is a REQUEST: for a CONVERSION OF LANGUAGE”.

“If you decide to participate in discussions – especially public ones – on the proper relationship with refugees and migrants, do so in deep union with the true teachings of Christ and the church,” he appealed. “If not, then please have the courage to remain silent and not stoke the flames of such a fiery reality.”

Poland has in recent years experienced levels of immigration unprecedented in its history and among the highest in the European Union. For the last eight years running, it has issued more first residence permits to immigrants from outside the EU than any other member state.

Since 2021, it has also faced a crisis on its eastern border engineered by Belarus, which has encouraged and helped tens of thousands of migrants – mainly from the Middle East, Asia and Africa – to try to cross into Poland.

Meanwhile, since Germany reintroduced border controls in 2023, it has been sending back thousands of migrants to Poland after they tried to enter unlawfully.

In response, Prime Minister Donald Tusk has warned that “the survival of Western civilisation” depends on “protecting our borders” and preventing “uncontrolled migration”.

His government has introduced a tougher new migration strategy, which has included banning asylum claims for migrants who enter from Belarus, restricting the visa system and, most recently, reintroducing controls on Poland’s borders with Germany and Lithuania.

However, Poland’s right-wing opposition parties, Law and Justice (PiS) and Confederation (Konfederacja), have accused Tusk’s government of doing too little to clamp down on migration.

PiS has organised a number of protests against migrant returns near the German border. On Saturday, Confederation organised anti-immigration protests in dozens of Polish cities.

Meanwhile, earlier this month, during a pilgrimage at Jasna Góra monastery, Poland’s holiest Catholic shrine, two bishops openly criticised the government and warned of the dangers of mass migration.

One of them, Antoni Długosz, the auxiliary bishop emeritus of Częstochowa, said that “for decades, the Islamisation of Europe has been progressing through mass immigration” and that “illegal immigrants…create serious problems in the countries they arrive in”.

That prompted the Polish government to call on the Vatican to take action against the two hierarchs for “slandering the government”, “indicating clear support for nationalist groups”, and “undermining fundamental principles of human dignity”.

Notes from Poland is run by a small editorial team and published by an independent, non-profit foundation that is funded through donations from our readers. We cannot do what we do without your support.

Main image credit: EpiskopatNews/Flickr (under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

Daniel Tilles

Daniel Tilles is editor-in-chief of Notes from Poland. He has written on Polish affairs for a wide range of publications, including Foreign Policy, POLITICO Europe, EUobserver and Dziennik Gazeta Prawna.