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PASTOR GENERAL'S REPORT, JULY 1, 1983
PAGE 13
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The pope understands how public appearances can be used, and
calibrates his facial expressions at such events. Here the sign
was unmistakable:
Church and state have reached some secret
agreement, and the· political blessing so avidly sought by
Moscow's chosen Polish leader was given, to be played and re
played on state television.
Soon after that, the newspaper published by the Vatican,
L'OSSERVATORE ROMANO, in a front-page editorial announced that
Mr. Walesa had "lost his battle.... Sometimes the sacrifice of
uncomfortable people is necessary so a higher good can be born
for the community."
The writer of the editorial, a veteran deputy editor, had commit
ted the cardinal sin of going beyond the official line and blurt
ing out the truth� he.•.was fired the next day.... Mr. Walesa is
one of those "uncomfortable people" whose courage can distress
great institutions.... For the church, ...Lech Walesa is not
totally controllable and seems"to have become"""'an embarrassment.
Archbishops and editors will accept disciplines� labor leaders
may not, which may be why the pope seeks to make himself the ex
clusive symbol �Polish°"freedorit':":".. It may [also] relieve those
1n the Vatican who fear that a rise of Solidarity would trigger a
crackdown on the church as well as a Soviet invasion of Poland.
What kind of deal was reached between the Vatican and Poland's Communist
authorities? It is now known that the two sides had already agreed before
Pope John Paul II's homecoming to establish a church-run foundation to
channel millions of Western dollars into loans and grants to boost the
depressed Polish economy, especially agriculture. The agreement appeared
to be part of a larger deal struck by the church in which informed sources
in the Vatican said the church agreed to urge former Solidarity union
leader Lech Walesa to step aside in return for a pledge to lift martial law
and enact reforms. Another agreement which arose from the pope's trip,
Vatican sources said on June 27, was that the church would work with the
government to create a new trade union---rounded on the lines of Solidarity
but most probably with� different name and led by someone other than
Walesa.
The June 29 LOS ANGELES TIMES reported on the unique financial aspects of
the deal as follows:
WARSAW--In the most concrete result of Pope John Paul II's visit
to Poland to emerge so far, the country's Communist rulers have
agreed in principle on an unprecedented church-controlled founda
tion to channel a minimum of $2 billion worth of Western equip
ment and supplies to Polisllfarmers, well-informed sources here
and in Rome said Tuesday....
Polish Premier Wojciech Jaruzelski reiterated the government's
agreement during a meeting with the pope on June 17, the sources
added.
The existence of such a foundation, controlled by an
agency outside of the governinent: 1s believed to be a first In
any Soviet Bloccountry.
...Church, government and diplomatic sources all confirmed the
general outline of the agreement in principle between the govern-