Summary

On the 16th of October 1978 Cardinal Karol Wojtyła, spiritual patron of our circle and author of texts published in the Znak monthly, was elected Pope of the Roman Catholic Church and became John Paul II. On the occasion of the 25-anniversary of the event the October issue brings to its readers two texts: Conscience of the World and The New Moses, by E. W. Boeckenfoerde and Janusz Poniewierski respectively, which try to explain who this Pope really is - for the Church, for Poland, for the world.

The current number, which bears the title of: Obedience to God or to the Church?, deals with the question of limits to falling into line with the Teaching Office of the Church. Do there exist any reasons of moral nature which with sufficiency justify disobedience to churchmen? What are the words of J. H. Newman supposed to mean when he declares that, within the Church, it is one's conscience that constitutes the highest authority, outweighing all others? What is one to do in a case when respectful compliance turns into no less than acceptance of the wrong that has taken root inside of the Church? Is a theologian entitled to criticism of the official preaching, or expression of sympathy with those the ecclesiastical institution have dealt wrong by? F. Krzysztof Paczos, author of a brilliant introduction to the problem of conformance throughout the Church's history, former Abbot of the Tyniec Benedictines F. Adam Kozłowski, and a religious philosopher Karol Tarnowski get together, alongside some others, to consider the above-posed questions. Besides, ten-odd respondents including priests, monks and lay persons, share their opinions on the same subject in answering a relevant questionnaire.

The "Diagnoses" pages bring a text written jointly by Michał Bardel and Robert Chojnacki on violence in Polish schools, one triggered by recent incidents in a technical school in Toruń where a group of students recurrently behaved in an aggressive manner towards one of their teachers who was left helpless confronted with, their bullying ways. For his part, Stefan Wilkanowicz discusses Christians responsibility for breaking out and waging of war conflicts, a monthly column by Piotr Kłodkowski, this time dedicated to experiencing time, and a relation of notable exhibition of Jerzy Nowosielski, work by Małgorzata Kitowska-Łysiak.

POCZĄTEK STRONY