Lumen 2018

pczynski confirmed his will in the Recommendations that he wrote for the Marian monasteries: “The use of spirits at the house and outside is, for the sake of honoring the thirst of Christ Our Lord and Savior on the cross, forbidden under the threat of losing the Lord’s blessing.” 125 He wrote in his testament: “Should Fr. Joachim, with the consent of the fathers, be again confirmed in the office of Coadjutor, I oblige him under the threat of God’s terrible judgment not to change anything. The same regards the use of spirits; may he know that this beverage is forbidden to him and to everyone else, for it is foreign to our Congregation for the sake of God’s mysteri- ous mercy.” 126 According to Fr. Wyszynski’s testimony, Fr. Papczynski himself “avoided any alcoholic beverages like sin.” 127 The witnesses in the Information Process confirm it in unison: “The Servant of God Stanislaus abstained from alcoholic beverages,” “did not use alco- holic beverages,” “felt disgust for alcoholic beverages such as wine, mead, and spirits.” 128 Father Papczynski was a witness to the fatal results of alcoholism in social life, therefore, he chose a path of abstinence for himself and his confreres. He especially forbade them to drink gorzalka (spirits), which were mostly used by the people who lived in villages. The no- bility and the magnates usually drank wine. We can see, therefore, that Fr. Stanislaus focused his activity on the peasant folk. He was guided by his love of the homeland, which was being threatened by the plague of alcoholism spreading in Polish society with frightening speed. 129 He understood his fight with this horrible habit in much broader terms. He realized that the desire to drink alcohol is a desire for some kind of an anesthetic, capable of dulling man’s spiritual needs. Therefore, through his pastoral work, he tried to awaken other kinds of hunger and thirst in the souls of the faithful. S TANISLAUS P APCZYNSKI 282