Father Casimir Wyszynski

if he does not performworks of mercy, has no compassion for his neighbor, and does not help him in need despite having the means and the opportunity, does not pray for his neighbor and does not help the suffering souls in Purgatory by offering Holy Masses, prayers, and alms?” 19 Venerable Casimir employed various means to create the for- mation of a Christian attitude toward one’s neighbor, especially the less fortunate and people who were snubbed, especially the rural laborers. Interposition in the Matter of Improper Use of Ecclesial Office T he state of the Polish Church in the first 25 years of the 18 th century was very sad. In his report to the Holy See in 1712, the Bishop of Poznan, BartholomewTarło, wrote: “Many priests have perished during the plague that reigned for four years. Some oth- ers cannot fulfill their pastoral duties because of their age. At the same time, there are only one or two candidates for the priest- hood, so that during the past two years since I received episcopal consecration, I ordained only six or seven candidates to the priesthood and I was the only one performing ordinations. The shortage of priests is felt not only in my diocese, but throughout the entirety of Poland […]. Furthermore, there are a few priests who cannot be tolerated, due to either lack of education or de- plorable morals, and yet the bishops cannot remove them be- cause they have no replacements. “The shortage of priests is due above all to the fact that for the entirety of four years, schools in the whole country were closed on account of the plague, and the young people were drafted ei- ther into the army or by big landowners. In addition, benefices are completely ruined and presbyteries destroyed. What ismore, 19 C. Wyszyński, Foreword to Morning Star , Stockbridge, 2017, 24. 56 Z YGMUNT P ROCZEK , MIC, P H D