The Polish Theological Society over the years, over the days...

Abstract

The Polish Theological Society is one of the oldest scientific societies in Poland. It was founded in Lviv in 1924 as an initiative of the professors of the Faculty of Theology at the Jan Kazimierz University. The main goals of the Society were to revive the scientific activity which had died out during the partitions, to foster the development of theological sciences in Poland and the professional training and to stimulate interest in theological disciplines among priests. Those tasks were focused, as in a lens, in the calling: „To Serve the Eternal Truth”. During the interwar period the Polish Theological Society reached almost all dioceses in Poland. Its dynamic development was terminated by the Second World War. After the war, despite repressions made by the communist authorities, the Polish Theological Society undertook its activity with its seat in Krakow. A great number of outstanding persons belonged to the Society, such as Cardinal Karol Wojtyła whose two important books, namely: The Acting Person (Osoba i czyn) (Kraków 1969) and Sources of Renewal. The Implementation of the Vatican Council (U podstaw odnowy. Studium o realizacji Vaticanum II) (Kraków 1972) were issued by the Polish Theological Society.

At present the Polish Theological Society in Kraków consists of 954 members (as on 31 December 2016). It is a public association of the faithful, i.e. a church legal entity approved by the Polish Episcopal Conference in 2004. It includes 16 specialist sections based in Krakow and 17 regional branches throughout the whole Poland: in Katowice, Przemyśl, Częstochowa, Kalwaria Zebrzydowska, Tarnów, Tuchów, Rzeszów, Kielce, Sandomierz, Bielsko-Biała, Radom, Sosnowiec, Szczecin, Toruń, Włocławek, Pelplin and Elbląg. The Society has its own Publishing House (Unum Publishing House) which publishes not only books, but also, since 1984, a prestigious quarterly entitled „Ruch Biblijny i Liturgiczny” („The Biblical and Liturgical Movement”). The head of the Society is a president elected by the general meeting for the period of three years. Professor Kazimierz Panuś has been holding the position of President since 1996.