How popular is Radio Maryja in Poland?

Thanks for sharing that knowledge, Jonni, very interesting read for me.


Yeah, in my ignorance when I first arrived I saw that chalk and initially thought it was algebra on front doors! My reaction was "Wow, they're really into their maths, the kids practice on any available surface..."

I assumed it was a note for the milkman.

Seriously, it's primarily a tradition and an act of faith now, but in a small town in 1920s Poland, it showed very clearly who was who. And there aren't many people in small farming villages, even if they dislike religion, that turn away the priest when he comes with the holy water and chalk. Not if they care what the neighbours think.

RM and Trwam provide hope and solace to many OAPs, including house-bound shut-ins or those neglected by their snooty, better-to-do kids who run with an upscale crowed and now prefer to conceal their humble poreltarian or rural roots. In addition to sermons, prayers and other relgious content, they Chrisitna cultural alternatives, family-oriented programmes and a Catholic take on currents events, a refreshing change from the ubiquitous secularist PC crapola that dominates the media. Unfinished Conversations (Rozmowy niedokończone) are the most controversial to those who exhibit the usual leftist, secularist or PC paranoia, because ordinary people are actually allowed to speak their mind without the de rigueur PC muzzling common to the mainstream media. But those phone-ins constitute only a vey small part of those stations' overall broadcast actuivity.

Statistics, however, show that most of them prefer other radio and TV stations.

Housebound shut-ins? That fits a fair few posters here.

Please, don't claim that RM and TV Trwam are "Catholic". They couldn't be further from it, unless you think that Rydzyk's pursuit of personal wealth is "Catholic".

Never confuse the messenger with the message. If Rydzyk drives a Maybach, that's a crying shame. But the message that goes out is not: own a Maybach and live in the lap of luxuary but faith, hope and charity, forgive, repent, atone...the 10 Commandments and the 8 beatitudes.

Personally I am suspicious of all materialists, be it a bishop, CEO, TV news reader, senator, mayor, tycoon, celebrity or Józio the plumber.

I would classify that as a f.cking disgrace.

Yes, in a democratic pluralistic soceity even secularist-agnostic smut is tolerated, but a RM/Trwam audience of three million cannot all be wrong, can they? The PC types, who only pay lip service to freedom of speech, would gladly find a pretext to shut down broadcasters who do not share their skewed, relativist views.

er..they can....

Hitler had a much larger audience and they sure as hell got it wrong.

Post-Communist contamination of mentality


gsearch.vatican.va - Vatican (about half way down the page).



/wiki/Tadeusz_Rydzyk#Active_politics

Three million? Source?


Perhaps, ask yourself why many Catholics in Poland oppose Radio Maryja.

Because all kinds of people regard themselves as Catholics. Often erroenously. One garden variety type are the 'cafeteria Catholics' who pick and choose from the menu only that which is pleasant, decorative and/or convenient like a church wedding with flowers, candles, pageantry and organ music. I'm afraid not many of those tune in to RM/Trwam.

Indeed, that's true. Many of the hate-filled, conspiracy theorist, Jew-hating rabid types are about as far as Catholicism as it gets. The fact that they continue to call themselves Catholic while refusing to submit to the Catholic Church's authority in Poland says it all.

Tell me, do you think that someone can call themselves Catholic if they disobey direct orders from the Church?

Even if it was, it's not that much really.

About 7% of population?

considering that statistically 12% are antisemities, that's pretty good score ;)

You mean, they're so rubbish that they can't even get a decent percentage of antisemites tuning in? ;)

I suppose... oh, wait... there are also leftic antisemites, those rather don't listen RM ;)

delphiandomine
What about those who disregard direct orders from the Church as regards abortion, homosexuality, remarriage after divorce, contraception and conceiving babies in test-tubes? And those who fail to make their Easter duty (go to confession and receive the Eucharist during the Easter season) have effectively self-excommunicated themselves. That is the minimum requirement to remain a Catholic in good standing rather than a lapsed Catholic.

Last time I checked, there wasn't different levels of sins. They're all sins regardless.

But then again, most ordinary Catholics who perhaps use birth control aren't the ones shouting about being Catholic, unlike the RM rent-a-mob.

BE AFRAID, BE VERY AFRAID......

Once again for those that haven't seen the light, belief in 'God' is a mental illness, it is a relusion.

It’s a rather good mental illness that teaches morals and puts on the breaks and curtails their behavior verses the ones that seen the light and were never thought ethics. For them, I is the king, want is the drive leading to chaos, a much crueler world that would be.

LMAO !

I have to say, and I mean no offence whatsoever to any Catholics reading the forum, that I am quite disturbed to hear so many here in Poland declare that they consider Jews killed Jesus Christ. I sometimes wonder if this is at the root of their anti-Semitism. As far as I am aware, it is untrue to say that. I can recall a good many Catholics back in the UK calling abuse at Jewish children at my school, "You Y*ds killed Jesus, [expletives followed]" etc was commonly heard. Yet this libel was declared untrue some time ago by the Church, I believe. However, ask some Catholics even today and they will declare with great irritation "The bible doesn't lie - Jews killed Jesus, but actually we all killed Jesus, we're all responsible." I never know quite what to make of that as I am no Bible scholar and don't know exactly how it gets interpreted but I had thought the bible said otherwise.

Some research on who killed Jesus was done in recent years, and there was a documentary on TV. See: imdb.com/title/tt1353192/ (the documentary cleared the Jews of blame btw)

Here, the BBC examines whether it was the Hebrew, Caiaphas - or the Roman, Pilate:

Yes, and Polonius3 is just choosing the ones he personally doesn't like. Not that homosexuality in itself is a sin, or that practising it is any greater sin then pre-marital sex.

There is however one sin greater than all others for a Catholic. Failing to love your neighbour as yourself. Whoever they may be.

Typical for those who preach about "Catholic Morals", really.

Funnily enough, the strongest Catholics I know are all rather secretive about their faith and don't feel the need to shout about it from the rooftops. They also don't preach to others - all of them having the view that it's for an individual to decide.

Then again, when Polonius supports the right of a government to keep secrets from its citizens...is anyone surprised? ;)

Yes - this seems to be the same in almost every religion. For Christians, many would do well to remember what Jesus said about praying in private, and about a lady who outwardly was despised by prudes and godbotherers, but in fact had a strong inner faith.

So how about this, Polonius3 ... in my local catholic church, you CAN'T go to confession anymore. They removed the confessional, which was placed in a niche and made it into a room where you can burn candles and pray. Very solemn, even a little romantic.

So all those who go to church there, aren't catholics, according to you?

Wow ... who are you (!) to judge who is catholic and who is not. Jesus?! The pope?! I suggest you tone down a little bit, mister. Read the bible again what is said about people judging others. Remember, that story about the stone, hmm?

Stop being so unbelievably narrow-minded. You are giving catholics a bad name.

Getting here late. My thoughts on RM

It really has little influence on a day to day basis. It's importance is greatly inflated by some politicians and media for their own reasons (some of which I can guess others are a not so clear).

I've always assumed it was mostly funded by Polonia abroad (esp the US) who have litle contact with the country and who are easily misled about the degree of moral decay going on. Or who aren't really informed about RM's activities.

I watch and enjoy trwam occasionally but not the way the programers intended. There are some wonderful odd 'artistic' segments on from time to time that are a delight to anyone with an appreciation for offbeat aesthetics.

News on trwam is very much like news from the communist times. The values are different but the style is the same.

Polish people mostly aren't very religious but are intensely political (never more so than when they claim to be bored or disgusted by politics). They get most enthusiastic about the church when it can tied to a political idea. RM is about as close to that as you can find in modern Poland.

It's another common trait of RM listeners - the supreme belief that they are entitled to judge people. I've always thought (admittedly, as a non-Catholic) that only God was entitled to judge people.

Radio Maryja marks 19th birthday

Thousands have flocked to Toruń to celebrate the 19th anniversary of Radio Maryja. In his homily the Bishop of Kielce Kazimierz Ryczan said: 'No-one believed that Radio Maryja would became a spreading oak beneath which those who seek God would be able to breathe the air of faith.'

Someone I know here in Poland aged around 70 who is a religious Catholic, and Radio Maryja listener and fan, recently stated to me that their view is Jesus died for everyone including Jews and that Jews too should embrace Jesus. Okay, no surprises there perhaps.

But the person also hinted that Jews suffering anti-Semitism around Poland and the world should look within themselves for the reason as to why. To my understanding, that interprets as the person implying Jews are to blame for anti-Semitism, don't you think? (That's not a view I would endorse myself, obviously.) Does that just so happen to be the random view from a long-time Radio Maryja listener?

I am not saying that there is any connection, I will leave others to make their own mind up as to whether there is indeed some fire behind the smoke. In fact, believe it or not I include this anecdote solely for the sake of balance and completeness as far as I can, because I have previously found nothing heard on RM to significantly worry me - that is unless there is a poisonous drip-drip effect over some years? (Obviously that's something which I'd be unable to detect in a few short months and occasional listens.)

This is probably my final post on PF for some time as am off back to the UK shortly and no plans to return to Poland for some time if at all. But, would like to take this opportunity to wish all who have helped me on PF on various threads and by PM a really great holiday period and a happy 2011.