Exactly 34 years ago, on December 8, 1991, the Redemptorist Fathers founded the Catholic broadcaster Radio Maryja in Toruń, Poland. And it was precisely in Toruń that celebrations were held to commemorate this anniversary. The highlight of the celebrations was the Holy Mass, presided over by Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Müller, former Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, who also delivered the homily. Polish President Karol Nawrocki addressed the participants with a letter that was read by Minister Zbigniew Bogucki; messages were also sent by the leader of the Law and Justice party, Jarosław Kaczyński, and former Minister of Justice Zbigniew Ziobro.

Thirty-four years of operation, but also three decades of struggle for survival: from the very beginning of the foundation of Radio Maryja, and later also Telewizja Trwam, these media encountered strong obstacles from the authorities. Even after the democratic transformation of 1989, in a Poland that was supposed to be “free”, there were forces committed to fighting these Catholic media. Those who wanted to dominate the Polish media landscape knew that the existence of even a single media center serving the truth represented a threat to the entire system of manipulation and lies spread by the dominant media. For the powerful in Poland, Radio Maryja was all the more “dangerous” because it became much more than a simple means of communication: around the station grew a large social movement, the Family of Radio Maryja. And thanks to the support of this family, the Catholic station was able to become a national broadcaster and Telewizja Trwam was able to broadcast on the digital platform.

Many other works were born around the Radio and Television: the Academy of Social and Media Culture, the Sanctuary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Star of the New Evangelization and of Saint John Paul II, as well as the Nasza Przyszłość (Our Future) and Lux Veritatis foundations; more recently, the “Memory and Identity” Museum of Saint John Paul II. All these initiatives actively participate in the religious and patriotic formation of Poles.

Unfortunately, with the formation at the end of 2023 of the coalition government of Donald Tusk—the most anticlerical since the democratic transition—the attacks against Radio Maryja and its founder and director, Father Tadeusz Rydzyk, his collaborators, and the entire Family of Radio Maryja have intensified. The left-wing and liberal media, often foreign-owned and mostly German-owned, also actively participate in this lynching of these Catholic circles. These are media that for years have attempted to impose ideologies and policies contrary to the centuries-old traditions and culture of the Polish people.

At the center of the attacks is always Father Tadeusz Rydzyk, and the latest act of this persecution is the summons of the priest by the Prosecutor’s Office as a witness in the so-called “Justice Fund” case. The malice of the Prosecutor’s Office can also be seen in the fact that Father Rydzyk was summoned not to the prosecutor’s office near Toruń, in Bydgoszcz or possibly in Warsaw, but in Rzeszów, which is located on the opposite side of Poland. Furthermore, the date of the summons was set for December 8, the feast of the Immaculate Conception and also the anniversary of the foundation of Radio Maryja (after public protests, the summons was postponed by a few days). In this way, Father Rydzyk was able to participate in the anniversary celebrations of the foundation of “his” Radio, but these actions of the Prosecutor’s Office, which operates according to political diktat, once again reveal the hostility of the current government towards the Catholic broadcaster.

Cardinal Gerhard Müller’s Homily

The celebrations for the anniversary of Radio Maryja included the Eucharist presided over by Cardinal Gerhard Müller. Here are excerpts from his homily:

«We gather here today to sing a hymn of gratitude to God, together with the entire family of Radio Maryja. Thirty-four years ago, a seed planted in the soil of Toruń—a seed of prayer, faith, and unshakable hope—has grown into a mighty tree whose branches now embrace not only our homeland but also the Polish diaspora around the world. Today we celebrate this anniversary, remembering it with gratitude in our hearts.

We often hear in the Gospel about John the Baptist, who was “the voice of one crying out in the desert”. He called for preparing the way of the Lord. The modern world, with its noise, relativism, and confusion, is often a spiritual desert. It needs a voice that calls for conversion, that points the way to Christ, that is not afraid to proclaim the truth. From the very beginning, Radio Maryja has become such a voice in the modern desert. A voice that does not flatter nor compromise with the spirit of this world, but with strength and love reminds us of the Gospel, the Cross, and enduring values. It is a voice that awakens consciences, strengthens faith, and gives hope so that we may live according to God today».

«Radio Maryja was born during a time of great spiritual crisis, at the end of the communist system, which was not only politically oppressive but above all a gnostic and pseudo-messianic system fighting against God. In this sense, its creation can be read as the fulfillment of the prophecy of the victory of the Woman over the Dragon (Revelation 12:1–17). While the world lived in chronos—a linear and materialistic time—Radio Maryja became a space of kairos—a time of grace, a time of openness to transcendence. It became an instrument for restoring the sacred in a desacralized world».

«The disciples of Jesus listen to His voice: go, preach! Radio Maryja has been faithful to this call from the beginning. The founding father (Father Tadeusz Rydzyk), together with his first collaborators, embraced this call and this divine challenge. He took the microphone as a tool for working for the Kingdom of Heaven. And thus, over the years, this radio has become a powerful instrument of evangelization, catechesis, formation of conscience, and the building of a national community. This is not an ordinary radio station: it is a true “school of faith and patriotism”, as it is often called.

Day after day, Radio Maryja strives so that the word broadcast from its antennas may be a word in the likeness of the Word of God: a word of truth that liberates; a word of hope that uplifts; a word of love that unites; a word of faith that strengthens. This word is not an empty sound, but a word that must become “flesh”—that is, concrete in the life of every listener: in his family, at work, in his local community. It is a word that creates community: the great family of Radio Maryja».

«In an era of the civilization of death, relativism, and the new totalitarian gender ideology, Radio Maryja has undertaken a prophetic mission. Like the prophets of the Old Testament, it is not afraid to speak uncomfortable truths, to denounce sin, and to call for conversion. Faced with the reduction of humanity to biological, psychological, and economic dimensions, Radio Maryja proclaims a holistic vision of the human person as imago Dei, called to communion with God and others.

In the face of the cultural revolution that attacks the family, it upholds the theology of marriage and family as communio personarum, a living reflection of the One and Triune God. In an age of ethical relativism, Radio Maryja is committed to forming mature consciences capable of moral discernment in a complex reality. It is an instrument for fulfilling the universal call to holiness.

The faithful gathered around Radio Maryja have become living bearers of the prophetic charism—the sensus fidei—which manifests itself in the ability to discern the signs of the times in the light of faith (LG 12) (…) It is a battle in the spiritual arena (Eph 6:12). Every program, every prayer, every statement in defense of faith and family is a fundamental element for building the “ark of the covenant” for our times. It is the fulfillment of Christ’s command: “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature!” (Mark 16:15)».

«The world needs this voice more than ever. It needs Radio Maryja. May this anniversary be for us not only a remembrance, but also a renewed commitment».

«May the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church and Queen of Poland, who has watched over this work from the beginning, surround it with her protection, intercede for the necessary graces, and guide it forward—for the glory of God, for the salvation of souls, and for the good of our beloved homeland».