Tesori di arte sacra a Venezia e Padova nelle descrizioni dei viaggiatori polacchi del XVIII secolo

In the 18th century, Italian sanctuaries played an important religious and cultural role, especially in Venice and Padua. They were visited by Polish wanderers during their trips around Europe, for example: diplomatic missions, pilgrimages, educational or tourist trips. They recorded their impressions from visiting these places in the form of descriptions in diaries, journals and itineraries. Reading the reports from the expeditions provides valuable insights on the mentality, customs of upbringing, as well as the religious and aesthetic experiences of eighteenth-century adventurers. The article aims to present the ways in which the collections of sacred art were perceived by Polish travelers from the 18th century. The analysis of their accounts, especially the fragments concerning the sanctuaries in Venice and Padua, will serve to present the literary covenants used by Polish wanderers. It should also answer the questions which tendencies dominated in the travel literature of that time, what phrases and formulations were used, and what items were paid special attention to.

Problems of Criticism of the Communist Poland’s Security Service (SB) Files as Historical Sources

Despite the passage of 20 years since the opening of the archives of the former SB, historians have not developed the principles of criticism of SB files as historical sources, which is conducive to the so-called playing with folders, and consequently the destruction of historical narrative and social life. Among researchers and publicists, an affirmative attitude towards the SB files has been created, causing their criticism to be ignored. Researchers ignore the requirement to separate the theoretical-ideological and rhetorical layers of SB operational files. They also neglect to study the credibility of their authors. Rafał Łatka gave a justification for the affirmative attitude to the SB files. It has been shown that this justification is logically erroneous, and the affirmative attitude to the SB files is contrary to the rational concept of the historical source and to the examples of the lack of credibility of these files. Several ways of creating questionnaires to examine the credibility of SB files were proposed. The first question that was proposed: Was the work of officers and their superiors in the field of interest to the researcher focused on efficiency or on the statistics of results? Further proposals suggest questions about the internal control of the case under investigation. It was justified that it is not enough to state the fact of registration of a given person by SB as a collaborator, because it is necessary to demonstrate specific cooperation. It was justified that the reliability of a note decreases exponentially as a function of the number of intermediaries between it and the facts. The need to ask about the intentions of the officers doing reports, which could be related to their professional careers, the expectations of superiors, the need to demonstrate results, etc., was indicated. The need to investigate deviations of the examined case from the ideal instructional pattern was also indicated. Studies of the reliability of files have their ethical aspect. Studies that may threaten good name of the persons concerned should meet the highest methodological standards and be guided by the principle of in dubio pro reo.

Self-esteem and perfectionism versus procrastination

The purpose of this study was to examine whether levels of self-esteem and perfectionism are related to passive and active work postponement. The study was conducted among 325 young adults (219 females and 106 males). The following tools were used: New Active Procrastination Scale (NAPS), General Procrastination Scale (GPS), Polish Questionnaire of Adaptive and Maladaptive Perfectionism (KPAD), Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (SES). The results indicate that active procrastination is negatively related to self-esteem and maladaptive perfectionism, and positively related to adaptive perfectionism. Passive procrastination positively correlates with self-esteem and maladaptive perfectionism, and negatively with adaptive perfectionism. The obtained data deepen the knowledge on the determinants of procrastination, which is worth considering from two perspectives - positive and negative.

The anthropology of the heart as a way to ecumenical dialogue

The article describes, taking as its main starting point the encyclical Fides et ratio, the importance of the way of thinking appropriate to the culture of the Christian East in the relationship between reason and faith. The encyclical of John Paul II has many different aspects, including the not often emphasised ecumenical and dialogical aspects. The Pope, who held Eastern (Orthodox) Christianity in high esteem and appreciated the Slavic cultural code, also positively points to this method of discovering the truth. In this context, the anthropology of the heart is particularly important (metaphysics of the heart, mysticism of the heart or spirituality of the heart), which enriches and complements the Western way of thinking and of discovering anthropological and theological truth. The anthropology of the heart also appears in the West and for this reason it has an ecumenical significance which is important for the dialogue between Catholicism and Orthodoxy.

A child with disability as a value - motherhood in a noetic perspective

The paper attempts to embed the experience of being a mother to a child with intellectual disabilities in a noetic (spiritual) perspective of human functioning. According to the noo-psychotheoretical assumptions (Popielski, 2018) constructed on the basis of Viktor Frankl’s concept of logotherapy (2009), finding and fulfilling the meaning of life is the highest human need and a kind of metamotivation. The suffering resulting from motherhood is seen as a borderline experience, in which the existential situation so far is revalued and the meaning appears to be the acceptance of an attitude of moral heroism towards the inevitable fate.

Typology of people in middle and late adulthood based on the profile of coping with everyday life events

Introduction. The purpose of this study was to construct a typology of the proactive coping profiles of individuals in middle and late adulthood. The conceptual layer refers to the theory of proactive coping as defined by Ralf Schwarzer and Steffen Taubert. It means such an approach to everyday life in which problems are treated as a challenge rather than as a great unknown that limits to only reactive responses to emerging difficulties. An attempt was also made to compare the obtained subtypes in terms of wisdom and resilience. According to Ardelt's research, wisdom, understood as a composite of cognitive, reflective, and emotional components, may be a resource characterizing adults who use mature coping strategies, particularly proactive coping. Building resilience in people helps to prevent stress, hence it can be considered as a resource important in proactive coping. Method. A group of 166 people in middle (N=80) and late adulthood (N=86) was surveyed. The Proactive Coping Inventory (Polish Adaptation) by Sęk, Pasikowski, Taubert, Greenglass and Schwarzer, Three-Dimensional Wisdom Scale (3D-WS) by Ardelt, adapted by Steuden, Brudek and Izdebski and Resilience Measurement Scale (SPP-25) by Oginska-Bulik and Juczynski were used in the study. Results. Four coping types were obtained: runaway, proactive, autonomous and support-seekers. Individuals belonging to particular profiles of coping differed significantly in the level of wisdom and resilience. Conclusions.The study showed that in a group of people in middle and late adulthood it is possible to distinguish consistent profiles of using coping strategies, which differ in the degree of proactivity. Additionally, wisdom and resilience were shown to characterize individuals with a more proactive, goal-oriented structure of coping strategies.

The Role of the Altar and Tabernacle in the Catholic Church Interior in the Light of Post-conciliar Recommendations and Architectural Arrangement of the Church Interior

The article defines the role of the altar and tabernacle in the contemporary architectural sacred interior treated as domus ecclesiae, designed to fulfill liturgical functions in accordance with the post-conciliar renewal of Vatican II. The article takes into account the problem of celebrating Holy Mass. by the celebrant with his back to the tabernacle located centrally behind the post-conciliar altar. With reference to the irreversibility of the liturgical renewal, apart from the ordinary form of the Roman rite, the existence of the extraordinary (Tridentine) form of this rite, also accepted by Vatican II, is taken into account. By presenting the presence of the post-conciliar altar brought closer to the zone of the faithful, the meaning of the Code of Canon Law is defined. The article, defining the irreversibility of the liturgical renewal, presents the location of the tabernacle separated from the altar, built architecturally in the nave or chapel of the church. At the same time, the aesthetic beauty of the liturgical interior furnishings is determined, when all this exists in accordance with the post-conciliar ordinances and serves to build a community of faith.

Thirty years of Internet development. Lessons for Democracy: Internet as an opportunity for democratization of social life

This year marks thirty years since Tim Berners Lee launched the Internet as the public domain on August 6, 1991. This date is symbolic because the Internet was already functioning for almost a year as an internal domain in the CERN (the European Organization for Nuclear Research) near Geneva. Berners Lee wanted to standardize forms of electronic communication within the centre, and incidentally, opened at the same time, a new development in the history of social communication. The Internet over these 30 years has revolutionized social communication and all areas of human life. It has allowed people who previously could not speak to express their opinions, to actively influence discourse in the public sphere and even, in some cases, to reconfigure entire political systems in individual countries. In the following article I would like to take a look at how the information revolution has changed the forms of political communication and at least take a framework look at whether the Internet, has become a new opportunity for democratization of social life and to what extent it has happened.

Relationships between forgiveness, life satisfaction, and empathy in honorary blood donors. The mediating role of forgiveness

Introduction: Voluntary blood donation can be considered as an expression of pro-social behaviour, resulting from empathetic motives and a desire to help those in need of a transfusion of whole blood or it’s components, as it was demonstrated by numerous studies. The process of donation is carried out in accordance with the prescribed stages, which include the initial qualification and examination of the blood and exclusion of any diseases or postoperative complications that may have negative consequences for the future recipient. In view of the current trend in psychological research in the group of blood donors, we decided to examine the factors that may coexist and enhance empathy in this group, these factors being the disposition to forgiveness and satisfaction with life. Method: Main purpose of the present study was to examine the relationship between life satisfaction, disposition to forgiveness, and empathy quotient, the level of explanation of empathy by life satisfaction and forgiveness, and the mediating role of forgiveness between life satisfaction and empathy in a group of honorary blood donors. The study group amounted to 111 subjects (72 women and 39 men). The mean age of the subjects was 24.9 years (SD=8.7). The study variables were measured using the scales: SWLS, HFS and SSIE. Results: The results of the conducted study showed associations between forgiveness and empathy and life satisfaction, and a satisfactory level of explanation of empathy by forgiveness (with a higher proportion of positive forgiveness) and life satisfaction. Mediation analysis also showed that forgiveness indirectly explains the relationship of life satisfaction and empathy. The correlation of blood donation seniority with life satisfaction and general and negative forgiveness was also found to be significant. Conclusions: The results of the conducted study can be considered as a contribution to further, more extensive research within the group of honorary blood donors. The results were confirmed in the literature, indicating a strong relationship between forgiveness and empathy, which may constitute a basis for the conclusion that forgiveness and life satisfaction resulting from longer length of blood donation may strengthen the level of empathy, as well as empathy itself may strengthen the level of forgiveness and life satisfaction.

Correlation between Pupils’ and Teachers’ Opinions regarding the Spheres and Effects of ICT Use by Children and Teenagers (Research Report)

The article presents a fragment of diagnostic-correlative research of a mixed character, identifying pupils’ information literacy in the use of ICT methods and tools in the context of new technological trends and accompanying civilisation changes. The authors aim to answer the question: What is the relationship between pupils’ opinions and teachers’ observations regarding the spheres and effects of ICT use by children and teenagers? For this purpose, the method of diagnostic survey (questionnaire and interview) and statistical methods were used. Together, 2510 pupils and 1110 teachers (in Poland) were involved. The interpretation of the strength of relationship between the co-existent variables – based on the obtained values of correlation (r) and determination (r2) coefficients – in general allows for stating that: 1) a noticeable dissonance exists between pupils’ opinions and teachers’ observations regarding the spheres and effects of ICT use by children and teenagers; 2) the identified differences (the minus/negative correlations in 6 cases) and similarities (the plus/ positive correlations in 4 cases) between pupils’ and teachers’ opinions indicate a significant “separation” between the world of children and teenagers (“Us”) and the world of teachers (“Them”); 3) in three categories, an obvious relationship (a very high level of dependence) exists between pupils’ and teachers’ observations as to the spheres and effects of ICT use by children and teenagers, namely “working with information” (r2 = 0.79; r = 0.89), “network communication” (r2 = 0.78; r = 0.88), and “preparing for classes” (r2 = 0.70; r = -0.84).