Stanisław Kamiński’s Philosophy as Christian Philosophy

This article argues that Kaminski’s concept of philosophy meets the requirements for being a Christian philosophy as articulated by John Paul II. In the encyclical letter Fides et Ratio, John Paul II affirmed the possibility, existence, meaning, and need for a Christian philosophy. He distinguished three stances of philosophy concerning the Christian faith. First, philosophy should be completely independent of the Biblical Revelation but implicitly open to the supernatural. A second stance adopted by philosophy is often designated as Christian philosophy. Third, philosophy presents another stance that is closely related to theology. Kamiński constructed an understanding of philosophy that is original, universal, and autonomous. Such a notion of philosophy (and its methodology) was based on the classical theory of being, which fulfils the demand for the autonomy of philosophy through its relationship with faith. Kamiński’s doctrinal standpoints in philosophy are rational, objective, and universal. According to him, philosophy is also compatible with the Christian faith. In this sense, one can speak of his philosophy as a Christian philosophy. --------------- Received: 22/04/2021. Reviewed: 06/09/2021. Accepted: 23/10/2021.

The Consumer Ideology and the Truth about Man

The formation of the human conscience is a controverted question in both philosophical ethics and moral philosophy. Conscience refers to one’s conception and understanding of the moral good. An especially significant manifestation of the problem of conscience in the 20th and 21st centuries is the impact of ideology on the individual person’s moral sense. This article considers the impact of two 19th century philosophies―Mill’s utilitarianism and Marxism―on contemporary moral thought insofar as the interaction of these two produce a powerful materialist ideology to determine the modern European and American conscience. We then turn to the thought of Pope John Paul II (Karol Wojtyła), who in his encyclical Veritatis Splendor and in his earlier philosophical writings developed an account of moral truth by which the dangers of materialistic ideology can be overcome. It is argued, with John Paul II, that only in the context of truth can a coherent account of freedom of conscience under the moral law be developed.

Human Person in the Code of Canon Law of John Paul II

The Code of Canon Law, promulgated by John Paul II in 1983, is a synthesis of the earlier 1917 Code and the doctrine of the Second Vatican Council. The Code contains norms which go well beyond a reform of the inner legal relations within the Catholic Church. A lot of them deal with the value and dignity of the human person, which shows a clear impact of the pontificate of John Paul II, who put a lot of emphasis on the given issue. The article discusses the fields of legal regulations in the Code which touch upon the issue of the human person, esp. freedom of religion, protection of unborn life, social rights, legal standing of women and the education of future generations. It points out the main difference between civil law (which also serves the dignity of the human person) and canon law, namely, the latter aims at the salvation of souls.

The Teaching of Pope Francis About Synodality in the Context of Contemporary Theological and Ecumenical Reflection

The article deals with the ecclesiology of the local Church and synodality. Both topics have been present in Catholic theology since the time of the Second Vatican Council, which laid the foundation for the ecclesiology of the local/particular Church, collegiality of bishops and synodality. This ecclesiology was developed both theoretically and practically in the post-conciliar period, but there are some theologians who believe that during the pontificate of John Paul II there was a return to the universalist ecclesiology, as evidenced by the documents published by the Roman Curia, especially Communionis notio. Pope’s Francis teaching on synodality and strengthening the Church at local and regional levels addresses the demands of those theologians who believe that Chapter III of the Lumen Gentium Constitution has not yet been properly implemented. The Pope emphasizes, that synodality is a constitutive dimension of the Church and therefore what the Lord is asking of us is already in some sense fully present in the word “synod” itself.

Pastoral Support for Married Couples and Families during the Pilgrimages of John Paul II to Poland

Pilgrimages are one of the forms of popular piety carried out for centuries and in various ways. A special type of pilgrimage are papal pilgrimages to individual countries, which is the implementation of Christ’s mission: ‘Go and make disciples of all nations (…). and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you’ (Pismo Święte Starego i Nowego Testamentu w przekładzie z języków oryginalnych. 1980. Mt 28: 19–20). Pilgrimages give the Pope the opportunity to come closer with the faithful and confirm them in their faith. They also make possible common prayer on different continents and teaching, the personal perception of which can bring people a profound change and improvement of life. John Paul II was the first after 455 years non-·Italian pope to visit his country of origin, Poland, eight times. He spent 64 days in his homeland and delivered 264 speeches. He taught freedom and continued his catechesis on marriage and the family, which was a topic to which he attached great importance. The subject of marriage and family is an important matter for the whole world. Therefore, it is worth introducing the papal teaching delivered during all pilgrimages to Poland to people from other countries, especially since some of the speeches are not translated into English. The article is a selection of pro-family content contained in the speeches of John Paul II in Poland, useful in the formation of spouses and parents. It may prove useful in their marriages and families, as well as in the professional help provided to students undertaking education in family life, students in the field of familiology preparing for marriage, spouses, parents and grandparents who educate their children and grandchildren.

Religious and museum tourism to Museum of the Holy Father John Paul II Family Home in Wadowice

The research was aimed at identifying changes in tourist traffic – religious tourism and museum tourism to the Museum of the Holy Father John Paul II Family Home in Wadowice in 1996–2019. The museum was opened in 1984 in the house where Karol Wojtyła, Pope John Paul II, was born in 1920. The thorough reconstruction between 2010 and 2014 resulted in the establishment of a museum with a modern multimedia narrative exhibition. In recent years, the museum has been visited by more than 200 thousand tourists a year, including 40 thousand foreigners from more than 100 countries worldwide. During the years 1996–2019 the number of international tourists rose more than twice. The greatest boom in the visits to the museum was noted in 2005 and was associated with the disease, death, funeral, and increasing worship of Pope John Paul II. Following decreased interest in visits to the museum during the period of 2010–2014, which was due to the museum renovation, a revival and increase in visits to the museum was observed again. Changes that were observed in the museum during the last twenty-five years were identified, among other things, thanks to field research involving observations and interviews with museum curators and staff. Analyses of tourist visits to the museum were based on detailed data provided by the museum managers. In the elaboration of the collected research results descriptive-analytical, dynamic-comparative and cartographic methods were used.

The Relationship between Religion and National Culture in Poland in Light of John Paul II’s Philosophical and Theological Reflections

Many historians and politicians acknowledge that John Paul II, along with other world-leaders of the 1980s brought about the destruction of European Communism. One could also say that connection between religion and culture inspired Poles to refuse co-operation with the Communism. According to Karol Wojtyła it is impossible without Christianity to understand the history of the Polish nation and culture. Being the son of Polish nation which has been condemned to death several times, by its neighbors, but which has survived and kept national identity, Pope John Paul II understood very well the important role of religion and culture. On the basis of his experience Slavic Pope laid out a vision for relationship between Christianity and culture as the ‘priority’ of the civilization of love. He pointed out a number of reasons for this, which will be presented in this article. First, religion does not exist in vacuum, but in a certain context. Second, religion played a decisive role in the construction of States and nations. Third, Christianity is a creator of culture in its very foundation, and deep transformation of culture starts when Christianity and culture are linked together. Fourth, Christianity is incomplete if it is not lived out in a culture. Fifth, Polish culture and society has been deeply animated by religious piety. Sixth, culture provides a medium for dialogue between believers and nonbelievers. Seventh, the goal of the engagement of culture in accordance with Christianity is the creating of a civilization of love, which enables the human being to live freely in the truth. The research aim of this article is to present the strong relationship between Christianity and national culture in Poland, to identify the core of the Polish national culture, the ways Polish culture has been growing and communicating in connection with Roman Catholicism in the light of Pope John Paul II’s teaching.

Christ’s Evolution of Moral Upbringing in the Light of Letters to Young People by Popes St. John Paul II and Francis

The significant social, economic and cultural transformations taking place since the second half of the twentieth century reveal with increasing force that young people are diverging more and more from adults as far as ethics and morality are concerned. Contemporary reflection on morality is increasingly being expressed in the manifestation of individuals’ rights. This is the view of both the Letter to the Young People Parati semper by St. John Paul II (1985) and the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Christus vivit by Pope Francis (2019). The above papal documents will become the starting point for answering the following question: What does Christ propose in terms of morality? Man is capable by nature (in his heart) of recognizing good and evil. Morality is then bound to keeping the Law, which, while being positive, is limited in time. Man’s coming to faith causes, as Pope Francis points out, the exhaustion of the Law’s propaedeutic value and, thus, gives way to another authority. The Law is still in force (the commandments continue to exist), but it has no justifying power. The one who justifies is Jesus Christ. In this context, it is crucial to answer the question regarding the stage of moral maturation: do I still need the Law, or perhaps I am already living in the love and freedom of a child of God. These levels of morality cannot, as postulated by St. John Paul II in Parati semper and Francis in Christus vivit, be treated as separate or contradictory, because both are necessary. Hence, one cannot reject and despise the commandments and, at the same time, keep them, even though they are not absolute, because salvation is in Jesus Christ.

John Paul II, Dialogue with Muslims and the Question of Religious Freedom

John Paul II was committed to dialogue with Muslims, and to the defence of religious freedom. This article reflects upon how John Paul II held these commitments together as threats to religious freedom from within the Muslim World emerged during his papacy. This article argues that the central theological insight of the Council, that Christians and Muslims together adore the one God, provided a framework into which John Paul II brought deepening reflections on the different ways in which Christians and Muslims understand God, the person and truth and freedom. In his dialogue with Muslims, John Paul II witnessed to the Christian understanding of human dignity and set out a theologically grounded defence of religious freedom.

Pengembangan Media Pembelajaran Teka-Teki Silang (TTS) Pada Materi Sistem Gerak Untuk Kelas XI SMA

TTS merupakan salah satu media dengan ciri khas menggunakan soal yang mengasah otak, dengan ciri khas menjawab pertanyaan pada kotak-kotak mendatar dan menurun sehingga membentuk sebuah kata. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui tingkat validitas dan kelayakan dari media pembelajaran TTS pada materi sistem gerak kelas XI SMA. Penelitian ini dilaksanakan pada bulan September – Oktober 2021 di SMAS Katolik St. John Paul II Maumere. Jenis penelitian ini adalah Research and Development dengan model 4D. Subjek dalam penelitian ini, yaitu pada uji coba skala kecil dengan jumlah peserta didik 6 orang dan 1 orang pendidik biologi sedangkan pada uji coba skala besar melibatkan 30 peserta didik dan 1 orang pendidik biologi. Hasil penelitian menunjukan bahwa media pembelajaran TTS yang dikembangkan layak digunakan dalam pembelajaran biologi. Dapat dilihat pada tingkat validitas dari validator materi sebesar 88, validator bahasa 93 dan validator media 88. Kelayakan media pembelajaran TTS pada uji coba skala kecil oleh pendidik diperoleh skor rerata 92 dalam kategori Sangat Layak dan peserta didik 69 di kategori Layak sedangkan hasil angket kelayakan media TTS pada uji coba skala besar oleh pendidik skor rerata 100 Sangat Baik dan peserta didik diperoleh skor rerata 82,93 dengan kategori Layak. Dengan adanya media pembelajaran TTS peserta didik lebih tertarik untuk belajar dan memahami materi sistem gerak. Media TTS pada materi sistem gerak sangat valid dan layak untuk digunakan dalam pembelajaran.