“Angels over Bethlehem sang to praise the birth of baby Jesus: ‘Glory be to God in the highest, and on earth peace to people of good will.’ I wish all of us to receive peace from those who do not have it within them,” says Catholic priest Zbigniew Jan Czendlik.
Thank you for a fitting New Year wish. How was your 2023?
For me personally, it was wonderful, just as all the years past. Life is in our hands and we will live it the way we want to. When one tries to live it well, life can be wonderful. Take note of the word “can”, however...
Are you alluding to events in life that not even our goodwill can influence?
Yes, there are things that affect us sometimes more and sometimes less that we have essentially no control over. From a global standpoint, this would be the war in Ukraine and also the war between Palestine and Israel in quotation marks.
Why the quotation marks for the conflict between Israel and Palestine?
It's a clash of two distinct civilizations, completely different mentalities. Something akin to an earthquake takes place in this territory between these two countries from time to time. When a real earthquake happens, tectonic plates collide, when the human kind happens, diverse mentalities and fanaticisim clash. It's a territory where a “human earthquake” is bound to take place sooner or later, and it brings with it a slew of human tragedies.
It's hard to believe that faith in God is behind all that...
You know, when religious fanaticism, Palestinian nationalism, and Jewish Zionism collide, it always spells imminent danger. Much like an atomic bomb. On both sides! Even religion has its maladies, and fanaticism is a religious cancer. I find a semblance of solace in the fact that human history is rife with wars and clashing civilizations.
With long-term friend and actor Boleslav Polívka
Why has the world been so full of violence for centuries? Is it a part of us humans?
If only I knew! But it is a part of us. After all, battles constantly take place within us, in our families, workplaces, relationships, between friends. Everyone has evil and good within; we are constantly faced with the dilemma of deciding which way to lean. Sometimes, the darker side in us wins, other times the positive one prevails instead. Major global conflict starts within our hearts, only the weapons are a little different.
We don't have to go too far, even our own society is divided...
That's true; I feel that just as one election ended, a new campaign and pre-election battle began. We never build anything here, we just keep tearing things down. It makes me sad because we're losing the energy that we need to create something positive for people and for society.
Are you still touring the country with your talk show “Bed, pub, church”, which bears the same name as your book?
I still travel to see people and I'm very happy that they listen to me, that they enjoy the spoken word, my stories. We smile at each other and forget all the bad going on around us, if only for a moment. I feel within me that it's what people need.
Has the way Advent is viewed in Czechia changed in the thirty years since the Revolution?
The way Advent is viewed has changed dramatically, and primarily for the better. Various Advent meetups, concerts, and charity events take place in our towns and villages. The features of Advent are goodwill and taking time to stop and think. I'm happy when I see people meet in village and city squares, have punch or mulled wine, and be able to spend time together. Advent is a true time of preparation for Christmas, without as well as within the soul.
He appeared alongside Richard Krajčo in the movie Gump – The Dog Who Taught People How to Live
Do presents even have meaning nowadays when we can buy everything we want during the year? Do they make people as happy as they used to?
That's a difficult question. Getting presents for all our loved ones keeps us busy during the Advent period and I don't see that as a bad thing. Christmas has always been a bit of a commercial thing, a time when people indulge the most. The truth is, however, that nowadays we are a little “stuffed” and you'll rarely meet someone who is still amazed by something enough to say “Wow”. I guess it's hard to come up with a present that makes someone feel amazed. I feel that people no longer enjoy the little things. On the other hand, buying presents does have enticing added value. The effort is appreciated. That time we put in, wandering around the mall, thinking of specific people we want to gift something to. We think about them, what they like, what would make them happy. That's the invisible magic, the added value. Then there are those who ignore Christmas because it's too commercial. It might just be an excuse so they don't have to think about others. Or laziness, or even avarice? Who knows...
What are your memories of Christmas spent as a young boy in your native Poland?
Childhood Christmas memories bring a smile to my face. It was one big mystery for all of us siblings. Naturally, we impatiently searched every nook and cranny trying to find what we'd get from baby Jesus, where he could have hidden it, and who was secretly going to find the best present. Our parents, on the other hand, thought about where they would hide the presents from us to make sure we couldn't find them, and believe me when I say they were inventive. Christmas has always been a wonderful holiday for me. I have a sensitive nose and I remember and evaluate a lot of things based on how they smell. Christmas smelled of pine needles, food, candy, but also things such as cleaning. To this day, I remember the smell of wonderfully ironed and crisp bedsheets. Going to church, visiting friends and family, carols, and feasting were also all part of the holidays. Just a wonderful time.
How will you spend the holidays as a spiritual father?
As a spiritual pastor, my Christmas is full of work; I might go as far as to say that it's the most work I have all year round. I always do my best to create an atmosphere where people feel good and where the holidays smell nice. I spend the majority of my time in church and I like to watch how people there are just that little bit different. Kinder, nicer to one another. I wish things would stay that way throughout the year. I feel that it's similar to presents under the Christmas tree. The love we put into the present when we're wrapping it and thinking about that one person is the most important part. But then the kids descend on the presents, tear apart the wrapping, and dump it in a trash bag. I sometimes feel that we humans work the same way. Christmas ends, we tear apart the peace and quiet, and everything is back to how it was latest by New Year's.
You once gave us an interesting Christmas wish, one you sent to the characters from a nativity scene, but it could apply in life with a bit of humor as well. Could you repeat it for us?
You must mean this one: To the oxen, may they not scream at everyone around them at the top of their lungs. To the donkeys, may they not be hard-headed and dense. To the sheep, may they not blindly follow the first shepherd that promises improvement. To the shepherds, may they understand that the sheep are not as dumb as they seem. To the angels, may they hover less up above and walk among us here on Earth a little more. To the kings, may they not be left naked, clutching only their crowns. And to baby Jesus and the holy family, may they find a warm place in the hearts of people, even should they sometimes resemble a pigsty.
CV BOX
Zbigniew Jan Czendlik (born September 6, 1964, in Brenna, Poland) is a Roman Catholic priest of Polish descent working in Czechia and the dean of Lanškroun. He is incardinated in the Katowice archdiocese.
He studied the faculty of theology in Katowice and Warsaw and was ordained as a priest in 1989. Three years later he was sent to Czechia to serve as the vicar in Náchod in the parish of Studnice.
Since 1993 he’s been the vicar, and later the church administrator, in Lanškroun as well as the remote administrator of the Luková and Žichlínek parishes. In 1997 he was instrumental in finalizing the repairs of the church of St. Wenceslas in Lanškroun.
In 2005 he launched a children’s home in Žichlínek on the premises of a refurbished clergy house. He was appointed a dean in 2008.
He appeared on the TV shows “Bolkoviny”, “Krásný ztráty”, “Uvolněte se, prosím” and “Máme rádi Česko”. He is the host of the show “Uchem jehly” on ČT1 as well as the radio show “Jak to vidí” on the ČRo Dvojka radio station.
He takes an active part in charity and community service projects intended to help seniors and special needs children.
He has two brothers and a sister. He is the benefactor of a dog shelter as well as an active athlete who plays football, golf, tennis, and skis.
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