On 21-22 October this year, on the first day of the liturgical memory of saint John Paul II, in the hospitable walls of the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, a conference entitled A Relationship of Karol Wojtyła – John Paul II towards the tradition of Polish literary and artistic culture was held. Among the participants, besides illustrious professors that for long have been engaged in researching achievements of thought and pen of Karol Wojtyła – John Paul II (Zofia Zarębianka, Krzysztof Dybciak, Jan Ciechowicz), there was also a large group of young, promising researchers, largely alumni of professor Grażyna Hałkiewicz -Sojak.
The variety of topics, lively discussions and nice atmosphere, all this seems to have been somehow placed in the conferences on Wojtyła. In addition to the speeches analyzing writings of Karol Wojtyła regarding Stanisław Wyspiański, Cyprian Kamil Norwid or Juliusz Słowacki, there were also those embedded in the biblical tradition, and those stressing paradigms such as Polishness (romanticism and positivism), religiosity, messianic concept as well as a global perspective. Especially popular were lectures on rhapsodism documented by the photographs of stagings of Karol Wojtyła’s plays presented over the years both in Poland and abroad (a speech of Anna Kołodziejska). Also linguistic research had an important place, e.g. a thorough comparative analysis of Wojtyła’s and Jakub Wujek’s language was made by Dr Anna Kozłowska.
Very interesting lectures from the borderline of literature and philosophy, such as one delivered by professor Olaf Krysowski on the idea of freedom regarding the romantic tradition in the poem Thinking Homeland (Myśląc Ojczyzna), or this one, deeply rooted in philosophy, presented by Anna Karoń-Ostrowska on the philosophy of dialogue in the drama Radiation of Fatherhood (Promieniowanie ojcostwa), or theological one entitled Omnia nuda et aperta – Franciszek Sawicki’s, Phenomenological Analysis of Modesty by Aleksander Stramski, reinforce the belief that the legacy of Wojtyła should be seen on many levels without forgetting that we are dealing with a man of the theater, a poet, a philosopher and theologian in one person. Furthermore, the elements contained in the Wojtyła’s writings were a starting point to talk about other authors, what was done, among others, by professor Bogdan Burdziej, for whom the Sistine Chapel was a good excuse to cite passages from works of Odyniec and Konopnicka.
Centre for Documentation and Research of the Pontificate of John Paul II in Rome in this conference was represented by Dr Marta Burghardt. You will can be acquainted with her paper on our website.
Academic presentations were followed by the artistic evening, in which Bartłomiej Łuczak was presenting his works of poetry and music, and Mariusz Olbromski was promoting his new book Two Wings of Hope (Dwa skrzydła nadziei).
Fot. Izabela Piskorska