scholarly journals Catholic-Orthodox Relations in Poland during the Pontificate of John Paul II

2021 ◽  
Vol 66 (2) ◽  
pp. 504-515
Author(s):  
Sławomir Romański-Cebula ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Catholic Church ◽  
Mutual Recognition ◽  
Pope John Paul Ii ◽  
Ecumenical Dialogue ◽  
John Paul Ii ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Religious Dialogue ◽  
History Of ◽  
Mutual Relations ◽  
Theological Understanding

The article is an attempt to analyze mutual relations of two biggest Churches in Poland: Catholic Church, which has had a historically and demographically dominant position, and the biggest minority Church — Polish Orthodox Church. The time of the pontificate of Pope John Paul II (1978–2005) was a period of intense inter-religious and ecumenical dialogue. There were many meetings among representatives of both Churches. On the basis of the reports from the above-mentioned meetings, statements of hierarchs of both Churches, and official documents, the author presents the history of mutual relations pointing out both hardships and successes in the ecumenical dialogue. One of the obstacles worth mentioning in the religious dialogue is Uniatism. It constituted the most relevant barrier for the dialogue in Poland. Antagonisms perpetuated throughout centuries have evoked negative emotions until now. However, theological problems were much easier to solve. There had been other successes achieved in this field: the agreement on theological understanding of sacraments, along with indicating the dominating role of the Eucharist, and the mutual recognition of baptisms. The Catholic-Orthodox dialogue in Poland placed in a wider international context of inter-religious relationships can be evaluated as burdened with difficulties but developing, with its historical peak during the pontificate of John Paul II. Despite the barriers which still exist, it has to be stated that many significant matters have already been solved. Numerous undertaken incentives have survived and have become a starting point for further efforts. However, favourable conditions are needed.

scholarly journals Supreme Pastor of the Church Cares for the Hungarian Church: Church Architecture of the Hungarian Church During the First Decade of John Paul II’s Papacy

2017 ◽  
Vol 48 (1) ◽  
pp. 53-57 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gréta Garai ◽  
Zorán Vukoszávlyev
Keyword(s):  
Significant Role ◽  
Catholic Church ◽  
Church Architecture ◽  
Pope John Paul Ii ◽  
Christian Religion ◽  
John Paul Ii ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Church ◽  
The Catholic Church

One of the first longer letters of Pope John Paul II was addressed to the Hungarian Episcopacy and the Hungarian Catholics. Besides the traditional Polish-Hungarian friendship, he highlighted the person of Saint Stephen and the role of Hungary in the history of the Christian religion. “  […] the Catholic Church, which had such a significant role in the history of Hungary, can still pervade the spiritual image of your country, and can make the lightness of Jesus Christ’s gospel, that gave light to the sons of the Hungarian people during so many centuries, shine for your sons and daughters.”- wrote in his letter.

scholarly journals Pope John Paul II and the Neurological Standard for the Determination of Death: A Critical Analysis of his Address to the Transplantation Society

2017 ◽  
Vol 84 (2) ◽  
pp. 155-186 ◽  
Author(s):  
Doyen Nguyen
Keyword(s):  
Brain Death ◽  
Catholic Church ◽  
The Body ◽  
Human Organism ◽  
Determination Of Death ◽  
Pope John Paul Ii ◽  
John Paul Ii ◽  
The Brain ◽  
The Catholic Church

The introduction of the “brain death” criterion constitutes a significant paradigm shift in the determination of death. The perception of the public at large is that the Catholic Church has formally endorsed this neurological standard. However, a critical reading of the only magisterial document on this subject, Pope John Paul II's 2000 address, shows that the pope's acceptance of the neurological criterion is conditional in that it entails a twofold requirement. It requires that certain medical presuppositions of the neurological standard are fulfilled, and that its philosophical premise coheres with the Church's teaching on the body-soul union. This article demonstrates that the medical presuppositions are not fulfilled, and that the doctrine of the brain as the central somatic integrator of the body does not cohere either with the current holistic understanding of the human organism or with the Church's Thomistic doctrine of the soul as the form of the body. Summary The concept of “brain death” (the neurological basis for legally declaring a person dead) has caused much controversy since its inception. In this regard, it has been generally perceived that the Catholic Church has officially affirmed the “brain death” criterion. The address of Pope John Paul II in 2000 shows, however, that he only gave it a conditional acceptance, one which requires that several medical and philosophical presuppositions of the “brain death” standard be fulfilled. This article demonstrates, taking into consideration both the empirical evidence and the Church's Thomistic anthropology, that the presuppositions have not been fulfilled.

scholarly journals Humility before New Scientific Evidence: We No Longer Have Moral Certainty that “Brain Death” Is True Death

2019 ◽  
Vol 86 (4) ◽  
pp. 314-326
Author(s):  
Irene Alexander
Keyword(s):  
Brain Death ◽  
Organ Transplantation ◽  
Catholic Church ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Current Medical ◽  
Vital Organ ◽  
Medical Evidence ◽  
Pope John Paul Ii ◽  
John Paul Ii ◽  
Moral Certainty

In light of the current medical evidence, physicians and ethicists no longer have the moral certainty that Pope John Paul II deemed vital for vital organ transplantation. The current medical evidence suggests that some brain-dead patients do seem to exhibit signs of global integration. This article will analyze the interpretations of this evidence, both from ethicists for and against the neurological criteria. Even the strongest arguments in favor of the neurological criteria in light of the new evidence fail to prove that the patient with total brain failure (TBF) has died. Furthermore, the recent Jahi McMath case demonstrates a new and alarming reality that there is no way in practice to distinguish global ischemic penumbra from TBF. In the absence of the moral certainty required by Pope John Paul II, it is clear that the Catholic Church should immediately call for a halt on vital organ transplantation. Summary: This article analyzes the current medical evidence about brain death and argues that we have lost the moral certainty that Pope John Paul II deemed necessary for vital organ transplantation.

The History of Greek Catholic Church in Slovakia

2010 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-43
Author(s):  
Peter Šturák
Keyword(s):  
Catholic Church ◽  
John Paul Ii ◽  
History Of

The History of Greek Catholic Church in Slovakia This contribution deals with history of Greek Catholic Church since 1818 till present time. It is concerned, among others, with history of the Eparchy of Prešov, with very long and very complicated way of its development. The most important event in the history of the Greek Catholic Church in Slovakia was a visit of Holy Father John Paul II in Prešov and commemoration of bishop-martyr Pavol Peter Gojdiĉ.

The Canon Law Society of Great Britain and Ireland and its Newsletter

1999 ◽  
Vol 5 (25) ◽  
pp. 284-285
Author(s):  
Robert Ombresop
Keyword(s):  
Great Britain ◽  
Catholic Church ◽  
Canon Law ◽  
Roman Catholic ◽  
Roman Catholic Church ◽  
Annual Conference ◽  
Pope John Paul Ii ◽  
Code Of Canon Law ◽  
John Paul Ii

The organisation now known as the Canon Law Society of Great Britain and Ireland was founded in 1957, and its Newsletter was first published in 1969. The activities, publications and achievements of the Society within the Roman Catholic Church are manifold, and were acknowledged by Pope John Paul II when he granted an audience to participants of the 1992 annual conference held in Rome. This papal address is printed at the beginning of The Canon Law: Letter & Spirit (London 1995), the full commentary on the 1983 Code of Canon Law prepared by the Society.

Historical Scholarship and Ecumenical Dialogue

Horizons ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 44 (2) ◽  
pp. 420-424
Author(s):  
Carter Lindberg
Keyword(s):  
Catholic Church ◽  
Roman Catholic ◽  
Roman Catholic Church ◽  
Protestant Reformation ◽  
Final Exam ◽  
Ecumenical Dialogue ◽  
Lutheran Church ◽  
Hundredth Anniversary ◽  
The Face ◽  
History Of

I am honored to participate in this theological roundtable on the five-hundredth anniversary of the Protestant Reformation. I do so as a lay Lutheran church historian. In spite of the editors’ “prompts,” the topic reminds me of that apocryphal final exam question: “Give a history of the universe with a couple of examples.” “What do we think are the possibilities for individual and ecclesial ecumenism between Protestants and Catholics? What are the possibilities for common prayer, shared worship, preaching the gospel, church union, and dialogue with those who are religiously unaffiliated? Why should we commemorate or celebrate this anniversary?” Each “prompt” warrants a few bookshelves of response. The “Protestant Reformation” itself is multivalent. The term “Protestant” derives from the 1529 Diet of Speyer where the evangelical estates responded to the imperial mandate to enforce the Edict of Worms outlawing them. Their response, Protestatio, “testified” or “witnessed to” (pro testari) the evangelical estates’ commitment to the gospel in the face of political coercion (see Acts 5:29). It was not a protest against the Roman Catholic Church and its doctrine. Unfortunately, “Protestant” quickly became a pejorative name and then facilitated an elastic “enemies list.” “Reformation,” traditionally associated with Luther's “Ninety-Five Theses” (1517, hence the five-hundredth anniversary), also encompasses many historical and theological interpretations. Perhaps the Roundtable title reflects the effort in From Conflict to Communion: Lutheran-Catholic Common Commemoration of the Reformation in 2017 (2013) to distinguish Luther's reformational concern from the long historical Reformation (Protestantism), so that this anniversary may be both “celebrated” and self-critically “commemorated.”

scholarly journals Diplomacy of the Holy See in the process of de-isolation of Cuba

2019 ◽  
pp. 37-48
Author(s):  
Ivan Danyliuk
Keyword(s):  
Catholic Church ◽  
Soft Power ◽  
The United States ◽  
Pope John Paul Ii ◽  
Holy See ◽  
Benedict Xvi ◽  
John Paul Ii ◽  
Cuban Government ◽  
Long Time ◽  
The Catholic Church

In the article are considered the role of the Holy See and the Catholic Church in the de-isolation of Cuba in the international community and the promotion of the restoration of relations with the world community. The article analyzes the change in the international situation that has forced the Cuban government to dialogue with the Catholic Church, as well as the strengthening of the position of the Catholic Church on the Cuban island. The resumption of relations between Cuba and the Holy See was mutually beneficial and necessary for both sides. The Cuban government needed a new ally to get out of isolation. For the Vatican it was necessary to legalize the activities of the Catholic Church on the Cuban island. It is noted that three popes John Paul II, Benedict XVI and Francis played a part in the withdrawal from international isolation. The visit of Pope John Paul II to Cuba attracted attention to Cuba and became a step that began the process of legalizing the Catholic Church on the island and de-isolating Cuba. Benedict XVI’s visit came at a time when the leadership changed, when Cuba was governed by Raul Castro, who conducted a series of reforms. And of course, Pope Francis played a key role in the process of restoring relations with the United States and the de-isolation of Cuba in the international arena. Cuba has undoubtedly benefited from the active interventions of Vatican diplomacy and the Holy See, which has been distinguished how in Cuba’s international statuses and so in Cuba’s economic, tourism and information areas. However, the Cuban breakthrough was also an achievement for the Holy See’s peacekeeping diplomacy on international arena. For a long time, Vatican diplomacy has once again received vocal recognition on the international stage. The Cuban breakthrough testified that even today in the XXI-st century, the «soft power» of the Vatican diplomacy See and the Pope of the Catholic Church are able to engage the conflicting parties in dialogue, to promote mutual understanding, tolerance, peaceful coexistence, international cooperation and security.

scholarly journals “No Pope Here”: Britain, the Vatican, the IRA, and the Papal Visit to Ireland, September 1979

2021 ◽  
Vol 90 (3) ◽  
pp. 603-620
Author(s):  
Martin Doherty
Keyword(s):  
Northern Ireland ◽  
Catholic Church ◽  
Pope John Paul Ii ◽  
High Anxiety ◽  
The Troubles ◽  
John Paul Ii ◽  
Religious Wars ◽  
The Face ◽  
Irish Question ◽  
The Catholic Church

AbstractIt is often assumed, particularly by outsiders, that the conflict in Northern Ireland—known euphemistically as “the Troubles”—in which some 3,600 people lost their lives, was an atavistic throwback to Europe's religious wars of earlier centuries. In 1979, by which time some 2,000 people had already been killed in the Troubles, Pope John Paul II proposed to pay a visit to Ireland and perhaps to cross the border into Ulster's sectarian cockpit. The idea provoked outrage from some Ulster Protestants and high anxiety for the British, concerned that the Pope might inadvertently inflame the situation or embarrass the British by raising difficult issues. But there were hopes, too, that an unequivocal condemnation of violence by the head of the Catholic Church might help to bring the conflict to an end. This article, based on extensive research in diplomatic archives, reveals deep divisions within the Catholic Church on the Irish question and points to the power and limitations of the British diplomatic reach into the Vatican. It reveals also, however, the powerlessness of prayer and pleadings in the face of terrorist violence.

scholarly journals Why did Pope John Paul II visit Ireland? The 1979 papal visit in context

2021 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 462-485
Author(s):  
Daithí Ó Corráin
Keyword(s):  
Twentieth Century ◽  
Northern Ireland ◽  
Catholic Church ◽  
Pope John Paul Ii ◽  
Leadership Challenges ◽  
The Troubles ◽  
Institutional Influence ◽  
Irish Catholics ◽  
History Of ◽  
Catholic Tradition

Pope John Paul II’s visit to Ireland in 1979 was an iconic moment in the history of twentieth-century Irish Catholicism. It has, however, received little detailed historical scrutiny. Based on state archival and hitherto unavailable diocesan material, this article contextualizes the visit by explaining the pastoral and leadership challenges that confronted the Irish hierarchy. Second, this article discusses how close the pope came to visiting Northern Ireland at the height of the Troubles. This was of concern not just to the hierarchy but to the Irish and British governments. Third, the organization of the visit, which was closely tied to the pastoral concerns of the Irish bishops, is surveyed. Lastly, the pastoral impact of the visit is considered. If the Catholic hierarchy hoped that the papal visit might arrest the declining institutional influence of the Catholic Church, reverse a quiet but growing faith crisis, or hasten a cessation of violence in Northern Ireland, then those expectations were misplaced. Ultimately, the pastoral impulse of the 1979 papal visit to Ireland was to preserve rather than renew the Irish Catholic tradition at a time when Irish Catholics were fixed on future material advancement rather than fidelity to their spiritual past.

scholarly journals Przesłanie moralne papieża Jana Pawła II i Benedykta XVI do czeskich ateistów. Historyczne uwarunkowania i możliwości.

2013 ◽  
Vol 8 (1(13)) ◽  
pp. 69-85
Author(s):  
Tomas Petracek
Keyword(s):  
20Th Century ◽  
Historical Context ◽  
Pope John Paul Ii ◽  
The Public ◽  
Pope Benedict Xvi ◽  
Benedict Xvi ◽  
John Paul Ii ◽  
History Of ◽  
Moral Teachings

The author deals with the reception of the moral teachings of Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI by the Czech agnostic and atheist public. He puts this dialogue in the historical context of the Czech history of the 20th century and demonstrates its limits and possibilities. Although there is a common dialogue and interest space, currently, however, on the atheistic part of the public prevails a rather confrontational stance.

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