165 involved in politics or taking sides is not our business, even though some of the causes may be dearer to us than others. Our duty is to be concerned with the common good: the good of the Church, the country where we live, and above all—the good of those who are most badly affected by the consequences of rash or downright harmful political and economic decisions. We have the right and the obligation to make demands on their behalf and to seek the judicious governing of the country in the framework of the functions and tasks entrusted to us, using our sermons, conversations with representatives of central or regional political authorities, as well as our publications. We ought to do it also by inspiring and supporting benefi cial social actions, which must be lead by other people for whom our help may prove to be priceless. 2. In response to the deep crisis in Poland in the 17th century, Blessed Fr. Stanislaus decided to remain among the poor of this world. He received lucrative proposals, which he rejected, despite the fact that they came from Church dignitaries and his refusal could be regarded by them as an outrage. As he would later confess: “I rejected them for the sake of the love of God, even though I badly offended my Bishop-protector who dearly wished to have me, decorated with the title of Monsignor, at his side.” The old proverb says: “The rich cannot understand the poor.” Blessed Stanislaus wishing to understand the poor, decided to stay among them and he also bequeathed those challenges to his spiritual sons. He accepted simple folks to his Order, descendents of the peasantry, which met with contempt and ridicule. He used to be addressed as: “Stanislaus, clad in a white sack, founder of the worthy farm-hands [order]” and ridiculed in every possible way along with the other Marians. Not only didn’t he give up in the face of such abuse, but in his Norma vitae he instructed his spiritual sons: “You will surround with devoted love not only those you fi nd benevolent to you, but adversaries as well, and enemies.” Although the Congregation of the Immaculate Conception was canonically installed as a religious community of an eremitical character (in statu eremico), its Blessed Founder instructed the Marians to dedicate themselves to pastoral work, particularly among the poor.4 In his Inspectio cordis he urges the Marians to make a meaningful examination of conscience: “Decide yourself how great is the wickedness you committed, when at an opportune moment you preferred the infl uential persons to the common folk and the rich to the poor, while fulfi lling a duty regarding salvation. How far away from the teachings of the Heavenly Master did you wander if you visited only the 4 See the valuable notes of Fr. J. Kałowski, MIC in: Początki mariańskiego ustawodawstwa, in: Bł. Stanislaus Papczyński, Pisma fundacyjne, Warsaw, 2007, pp. 14-19.
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