After the inaugural part of the symposium: “How Do We Transmit the Legacy of the Pontificate? The John Paul II Foundation Is Facing New Challenges”, which was held at the Pontifical University “Urbaniana” on 23 September 2022, the main session began. It consisted of three speeches delivered by: prelates Stefan Wylężek and Sławomir Oder and Father Andrzej Dobrzyński.
Monsignor Stefan Wylężek, Rector of the Polish Mission in England and Wales, spoke on the subject of “Implementation of the Founding ideas of the John Paul II Foundation during his Pontificate”. The speaker emphasised that the establishment of the Foundation reflected the historical moment associated with the election of Karol Wojtyla as Pope. “The ancient ties linking Rome with Poland, its history and culture, were given a new impetus and we saw that by being in Rome we could be ‘at home’,” – the speaker stated. The Polish House, the Centre for the Documentation and Research of the Pontificate and the Polish Institute of Christian Culture are all institutions of the Foundation which, since its establishment (16 October 1981), have strengthened the presence of the Polish Church in Rome. The speaker briefly characterised the activities of these institutions, but devoted more attention to the Polish Institute of Christian Culture, which ceased its activities in 2003. He recalled the scientific symposia organised, in which well-known authorities from the cultural milieu took part. He referred to the long-lasting and fruitful cooperation with the Catholic University in Lublin, thanks to which courses were developed in Rome within the framework of the Summer University of Polish Culture for young Poles from several countries of the world. He drew attention to the importance of the published series ‘Bullarium Poloniae’, as well as the scholarship programme for Polish scholars conducting research and queries in the libraries and archives of the Eternal City. The speaker also mentioned the creation of a scholarship programme for young people from Eastern European countries studying in Lublin and Krakow, in order to support the creation of a “cadre of Catholic intelligentsia” involved in the life of their countries. Concluding his speech, Fr Wylężek emphasised that the Foundation’s circle of friends is a testimony to the fact that the good shared returns to the donors, e.g. in the form of various initiatives, and attracts people of other nationalities to jointly run projects.
Monsignor Slawomir Oder in his paper addressed the topic: “Facing the Great Legacy. The Canonisation of John Paul II and the Reception of his Teaching”. He emphasised that the legacy of John Paul II “is written in many voices”, consists of various threads, and connects the person of the Pope, his thought and work. To fathom and describe this heritage requires many years and studies. Nevertheless, it can be pointed out that a characteristic feature of this heritage is christocentrism and personalism, which provide the framework for the theological and philosophical reflection contained in the fourteen encyclicals, the issues of which the speaker briefly outlined, and in a number of other documents. The speaker pointed out that John Paul II combined a magisterium of universal significance with an individual approach to each person he met, in whom he perceived God’s image. Msgr. Oder then referred to the beatification process of John Paul II, which he led as postulator. He emphasised that the beatification process was conducted according to the advice of Benedict XVI, “quickly but well” and allowed the experience of the generation that witnessed the life of John Paul II to be objectified. He pointed out that throughout the process, the faithful with whom the postulator had contact referred to the Pope as a person very close to them, like a father, admiring his spirituality, his commitment to preaching the Gospel, and appreciating in him his human sincerity and capacity for empathy. With the beatification of John Paul II, on 1 May 2011, the veneration of his relics began, which has been very popular to date. It should be combined with a study of the Pope’s teaching. An important point in drawing from his example is to see the role of the Holy Father’s spirituality and his concern for the development of the inner and moral life of the faithful, for this constitutes the path to sanctification of every christian. John Paul II knew how to read the signs of the times. In the age of secularisation, he saw the need to remind people of the transcendent dimension of human life. A particular manifestation of this is the conscience as a compass of daily choices, and at the same time as a place of listening to God’s voice. Msgr. Oder expressed his conviction that the personal holiness of John Paul II is the most valuable aspect of his life and, as it were, a gateway through which one can, in time, reach the various threads of his teaching. The third speaker was Fr Andrzej Dobrzyński, Director of the Rome-based Centre for Documentation and Research of the Pontificate of John Paul II, who addressed the topic of “Development of the John Paul II Foundation as a Vatican and Roman institution”. “The Roman character of the John Paul II Foundation is linked above all to the genius loci that is the Eternal City,” the speaker stated. He explained that the specificity of the ministry of the successor of Peter in the Church is to “think as a whole”, i.e. not to lose sight of the totality of Catholic doctrine, the two millennia of Christian history or the universality of the Church. To illustrate this point, the speaker referred to John Paul II’s address to the Foundation’s community at its inauguration. At that time, the Pope pointed out that the Foundation should be a “sensitive point” at the crossroads of historical paths leading in and out of Rome, where the particular aspects of different cultures intersect with the universal aspects of Christianity. The Eternal City, especially its academic environment and the Areopagus of culture, is the right place for the Foundation to highlight the universal character of John Paul II’s pontificate. In this context, the speaker addressed the activities of the Pontificate Centre as the Foundation’s operational institution in the field of research and dissemination of the legacy of John Paul II. On the basis of many years of work, he showed the need for a legal foundation for the Centre so that it can better cooperate with scientific and academic institutions. He then pointed out the need to establish a Scientific Council of the Pontificate Centre and to expand the circle of scientists involved in specific projects and undertakings. He also pointed out that the Centre’s location on the outskirts of Rome made it very difficult for researchers and students to reach it and therefore to use the collections. He pointed to the need to create its ‘exposition’ in the centre of the city as a point of reference for the teaching of John Paul II and the history of his pontificate and, at the same time, it would constitute an outpost of Polish theological thought in the Eternal City. The establishment of a prestigious award related to the thought and work of John Paul II would also contribute to raising the profile and fruitful activity of the Foundation in the field of culture and science.
Andrzej Dobrzyński