With the Second World War over , Soviet forces stationed in Poland and the Communist Party in increasing control of the Polish government , the Pope and the Polish episcopate anticipated persecution and communication problems with the Polish bishops , He therefore granted Facultas Specialis , special powers to Cardinal August Hlond in his dealings with the Church and state authorities . Hlond 's pastoral priority were the former German territories , now assigned to Poland , and called Recovered Territories by the Communist Polish state authorities , and '' Western Lands '' by the Polish church hierarchy itself . 15 August 1945 , one week after the Potsdam Conference Hlond created facts by establishing Polish administrators in these areas . The new government , almost as expected , began its campaign against the Church by withdrawing from the concordat and expelling the Papal Nuncio and refusing to accept the appointments by Cardinal Hlond . The Vatican was accused of refusing to accept the authority of the new communist government and for breaking the concordat in the war years , by appointing temporary German administrators in Polish territory
Potsdam Conference
Potsdam Conference
Pope Pius XII and Poland