The panel discussion was the next part of the symposium. It was entitled “The mission of the John Paul II Foundation and New Challenges”. It was attended by the Archbishop of Minsk and Mogilev, Józef Staniewski, Prof. Michał Paluch OP from the University of St. Thomas Aquinas “Angelicum” in Rome and Wojciech Halarewicz, economist and member of the Board of Directors of “Mazda Europa” and at the same time member of the Administrative Council of the John Paul II Foundation. The discussion was moderated by Michał Kłosowski, journalist and publicist, associated, among others, with the magazine “Wszystko Co najważniejsze”. The first round opened with a question to Archbishop Staniewski about the activities of the Foundation in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, what it was like in the past and what shape it should take in the future. The Archbishop recalled that the election of Karol Wojtyła was a ray of hope also for the people living in the Belarusian republic which was part of the USSR. After the political changes, John Paul II erected dioceses and ecclesiastical structures in Belarus, which, however, had to be combined with the preparation of suitable human resources. Thanks to the Foundation, lay and also clerical students have acquired the appropriate professional education, spiritual formation and deepened their knowledge of Polish culture.
“How do we educate and build the culture of the younger generations?” – with this question, the presenter addressed the Dominican father, who pointed out that the “Angelicum” is the university where Karol Wojtyla did his doctoral studies between 1946 and 1948. The students of this university, representing a total of about a hundred nationalities, should learn about the person and teaching of Saint John Paul II. The theologian stressed that Pope Wojtyla’s magisterium entitles one to compare him with St Augustine or St Thomas Aquinas. But it is important to choose especially those themes from the extensive legacy of John Paul II that appear to be particularly topical. The theme of culture is very important, and the issue of identity is no less important. What is needed is a courageous living out of one’s Christian identity, but at the same time with a “warm place” for the other, or for another culture. From the depth of living one’s own identity comes the courage and openness to meet those with other values and principles.
“How could the Foundation contribute to the environment of economics and business people? How can we prepare young Christians for work in this sector of life based on the social thought of John Paul II?” – With these questions, Michał Kłosowski invited Wojciech Halarewicz to join the conversation. The Pope paid attention to integral development taking into account the anthropological and moral dimension also in the economic sector, the panellist stressed. It is therefore necessary to ask why a product is marketed, i.e. also about human, non-material values, which should also count. Hence the need to prepare an elite of economists, informed and responsible people, capable of making the right decisions. This requires a long and deliberate educational and formative process.
The second round of questions consisted in detailing the role of the Foundation, so that it can take up the new challenges posed by the modern world. Archbishop Staniewski stressed that the process of upbringing and education needs to continue into adulthood as well. It is the desire of the Church in Belarus, for example, that a Catholic university be established. The way to this is through the prior establishment of faculties of ecclesiastical sciences. The Foundation can contribute to the preparation of academic staff from the graduates of the scholarship programme, returning to their country and diocese. Father Paluch pointed out that the strategy of passing on the legacy of John Paul II should take into account the different sensitivity of the younger generation. Their dynamics of discovering his person and thought are different from our generation of witnesses to the pontificate, their experiences are different. The strategy should include fundamental activities, i.e. the study of John Paul II’s thought, an educational programme for young people from the East, as well as a form of attracting and interesting a wider group of tourists coming to Rome, e.g. through an interactive museum, located in the centre of the Eternal City, in which the story of Karol Wojtyła/John Paul II will be briefly told. This would be a challenge worth taking up in order to bring about a certain ‘upheaval’ in the consciousness of tourists and, at the same time, an opportunity for the work of the Foundation to get people interested in the person and teaching of the Pope. The Dominican Father emphasised the need to teach people to “think with John Paul II about the modern world”. This idea is the light motive of the Saint John Paul II Institute of Culture, established in 2020, within the Faculty of Philosophy of the ‘Angelicum’ University. It is therefore necessary to look for new forms of reaching out to young people and getting them interested in the thought of the Pope. There should also be a greater emphasis on cooperation between institutions associated with John Paul II, in order to jointly seek appropriate ways of reaching successive generations with the Pope’s legacy. Wojciech Halarewicz, on the other hand, returned to moral issues in business. Questions about these issues recur with an integral approach to economic development. It is important here to monitor the academic formation and professional careers of graduates of the scholarship programme so that they create a ‘difference’ in their living and working environments.
Cardinal Stanisław Dziwisz spoke at the end of the symposium. He recalled that the creation of the Foundation was the intention of John Paul II, who wanted to unite Polish culture with Christian and European culture. His pontificate unleashed the will to accompany John Paul II, to support his initiatives led by the Foundation. He mentioned that many graduates of the scholarship programme from Ukraine are probably on the front line of the struggle for a free homeland. They should be embraced in prayer. The Cardinal also thanked the benefactors for their spiritual and material support of the Foundation’s activities. In conclusion, it is worth noting that in the context of the “new challenges” already contained in the title of the symposium, and above all those emerging from the contemporary world, the publication of John Paul II most frequently cited by the speakers was the book “Memory and Identity”. In order to properly face the new challenges, it is not enough just to read the ‘signs of the times’, but it is necessary to understand one’s own role, to know the sources and roots, that is, what and how to respond to these challenges. The Foundation should make its contribution so that from the “memory of the Church”, i.e. from her teaching, the Christological and anthropological threads of John Paul II’s magisterium are brought out, showing their significance for resolving actual problems. Its task is to serve the formation of Christian identity, especially of young people from Eastern Europe. The Foundation’s mission is closely linked to its history and identity, which does not mean simply continuing the work carried out, but also daring to face the challenges ahead.
Fr Andrzej Dobrzyński
Fot. ODPiS