In 1970, the Communist Party of Peru split into several factions due to internal disagreements on how to introduce communism into the country.
One of these factions drew inspiration from a quote by the leader of the first Communist Party of Peru, who predicted that "Marxism-Leninism will open a shining path to revolution."
Most people do not consider revolution a desirable thing; the American colonists of the 18th century spent decades trying to avoid it. But as history has shown, the only way for a country to accept communism is to force it down its throat through famine, violence, and revolution.
The leader and members of this Peruvian faction, true disciples of Marx and Lenin, believed this was the perfect approach. Hoping to follow in the glorious footsteps of Stalinist Russia, Mao Zedong's China, and the Khmer Rouge of Cambodia, they used this quote and gave the name "Shining Path" to their communist guerrilla group. Their choice of words is certainly ironic, as everything about their subsequent actions would be better described as dark and cruel, not bright and shining.
The Shining Path organized bombings and assassinations to destabilize the Peruvian government. It used intimidation and violence to recruit members in rural areas. It killed peasants, elected officials, unionists, and even members of rival communist groups—all who stood in the way of its anticipated glorious revolution. It is unsurprising that the Communist Party of Peru today distances itself from the Shining Path's past actions.
Michal Tomaszek was born in communist Poland in 1960, and his father died when he was only nine years old. After graduating from high school, Michal recognized God's call to become a priest in the Conventual Franciscan order. Therefore, he not only completed a five-year novitiate in the order but also studied theology and philosophy before being ordained a priest in 1987. Zbigniew Adam Strzalkowski was born in 1958, also in Poland, and he too recognized a vocation to the priesthood and the Conventual Franciscans. He completed his theological and philosophical studies and was ordained a priest in 1986.
Zbigniew was sent by his order to serve the poor of Peru in November 1988; Michal was sent to Peru a few months later, in July 1989. The two young men eventually met and served together the inhabitants of the town of Pariacoto in the Andes mountains.
The mission of the two priests was not political. As true disciples of Saint Francis of Assisi, they had been sent to care for the souls and bodies of the poor in that town. It was hard and tiring work, as the priests lived in poverty among the people, learned their customs, traditions, and language, and encouraged devotion to God and religious vocations.
Shining Path guerrillas also lived in the area, and they threatened the missionaries because the priests made it difficult to recruit new members. After all, they taught people the values of the Gospel and helped them rise out of poverty, rather than encouraging resentment and violence, which was the preferred solution of the "Shining Path" communist group to fight poverty. Shortly before the priests' death, a religious sister spoke to the two men about the dangers of the Shining Path. Father Zbigniew simply smiled and told her they could not abandon their people.
On August 9, 1991, Shining Path members covered the town square of Pariacoto with graffiti and kidnapped the town's mayor. Their guerrillas then kidnapped the two priests after they had celebrated Mass. The men were thrown into a van and taken to another village for a "trial."
Of what crimes were the priests accused in this show trial? Of hindering the revolution desired by the Shining Path by preaching peace and forgiveness. Distributing food from "imperialist" charitable organizations like Caritas. Helping the poor. After this "interrogation," the guerrillas took the two priests and the mayor to a nearby cemetery and executed them.
In 2015, the Church beatified the two priests as martyrs, several months after the beatification of a similar martyr, Salvadoran Archbishop Oscar Romero.
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The life and death of the Blessed Michal and Zbigniew show us that it is only by walking in the footsteps of Jesus Christ—by sharing the poverty of the poor, teaching and living the Beatitudes, and leading one another to God—that we can overcome the darkness of our world. His path of peace and forgiveness is the only one worth following.
This article was originally published in English by Catholic World Report (Article link). It is republished and translated with the author's permission.