ŚLĄSKIE STUDIA HISTORYCZNO-TEOLOGICZNE

Selected Issues of Canon Law in the Activity of “Patriot Priests”
The article presents an analysis of the legal status, in the light of the Canon Law Codex of 1917, of the Roman Catholic clergy movement inspired by the Communist authorities (Polish United People’s Party) and the state security office (Ministry of Public Security) in Poland in the years 1949–1956. The movement was aimed at internal diversion in Church institutions and distribution of Marxist propaganda among the Catholic clergy and lay people. On the other hand, in their press articles the activists of the movement presented interesting and innovative concepts for the reforms in the Church, at times even precursory in relation to the changes that were to be initiated by the 2nd Vatican Council. This is confirmed by numerous examples from the Ciocese of Katowice and the Upper Silesia area. The article is based on the doctoral dissertation written under the guidance of Prof. Jerzy Myszor, Phd (Faculty of Theology, University of Silesia).