Roczniki Historii Kościoła

Terribilis auctoritas and auctoritas of the Holy Bible, According to Saint Augustine

2021-02-13T19:26:26+01:00

This paper touches upon a crucial motive in the evolution of the spirituality of St. Augustine: the authority of the Holy Bible, which he had first rejected on his reading Hortensius Cicero. Cicero’s work, being in itself an invitation to philosophy, raised St. Augustine love of wisdom (philosophia). In its latter part, this article discloses the reason why the Doctor of Grace adhered to the Manichean doctrine, which he found attractive for its promise to give access to truth without reference to the authority of the faith (terribilis auctoritas).

This article gives the reader a chance to follow the path of St. Augustine’s spiritual growth. Despite his Christian roots and education, bequeathed to him by his Saint mother Monica, his juvenile pride and his overambitious attitude made him reject the authority of the Holy Bible, which he found at tangent with his own intellectual needs. In short, he rejected the authority of the faith and regarded it as useless, since it raised his anxiety and terror (terribilis auctoritas). This is why he subscribed to the Manichean doctrine, which promised a completely rational comprehension of truth.

750th Anniversary of the Szczecin Collegiate Chapter of St. Peter’s/St. Mary’s

2021-02-13T19:26:27+01:00

The Collegiate Chapter of St. Peter was founded on 18 April 1261 by Prince Barnim I and his wife Marianne, with the participation of Bishop Hermann von Gleichen (1251-1289). Two years later, on 8 July 1263, the same prince himself brought it to his newly-founded the Collegiate Church of St. Mary.

The Chapter of St. Peter's/St. Mary's survived for 282 years. It was finally resolved in 1543 and its income was transferred to prince’s Pedagogium. The Chapter consisted of 12 canons, including six prelates. In the 13^th century, the chapter’s income increased. To the income coming from two villages, 25 churches, a chapel, new sources were added. The chapter got privileged with an annual income of 30 Marks from the mint in Szczecin. Other new sources were as follows: land and rent of the 71 villages and two cities of Szczecin and Pyrzyce. Access to the Szczecin Basin in the vicinity of two villages: Stepnica and Świętowice and 37 churches (currently 10 of these localities is in Germany) as well a chapel were also sources of the chapter’s income in the sixteenth century.

The chapter enjoyed a most beautiful church in Szczecin and the best school in the city. Provost of the chapter also participated in the territorial organization of the diocese, holding the office of Archdeacon. The chapter was also responsible for the growth of spiritual life in Szczecin, and influenced cultural development in the region, as borne out by a comprehensive book collection.

At that time, Szczecin had a largest number of collegiate or monastic centres. 7 centres out of 70 in the Diocese of Kamień Pomorski were located in Szczecin. St. Mary’s collegiate was undoubtedly a leading centre among these.

History of the Fransciscans in Grodno until 1975

2021-02-13T19:26:27+01:00

This article deals with the pastoral activity of the Franciscan monks in Grodno from the time of the foundation of the monastery in 1635 until 1975.The patron Eustachy Kurcz bestowed the monks with resources that helped them survive numerous instances of historical turmoil and chaos. The time of the Partitions of Poland witnessed almost a complete demise of the Grodno monastery until 1906. When Poland regained independence, the pastoral vigour of the Grodno Franciscans was rekindled. Among the pastoral initiatives of the time, there was the publishing of Rycerz Niepokalanej [The Knight of the Immaculate Virgin Mary], so well-known for the editorial efforts of Maksymilian Kolbe, who in the years 1922-1927 worked in Grodno as a journalist and a priest. The death of Father Dionizy Klimczak, shot dead by the Nazi in 1943, marked the turbulent history of the monastery during War World II. The geopolitical shifts in the wake of the War caused it that Grodno was incorporated within the USSR. One of the most outstanding promoters of “Peace and Good” at that time was Father Arkadiusz Waltoś.

The Influence of the Catholic Church on the History and Development of Silesia Region. The Contribution to the Discussion of the Role of Christianity in the History of Silesia

2021-02-13T19:26:27+01:00

The author shows the influence of the Catholic Church on the history and development of Silesia. On a positive apology, the author presents how the Church contributed to the historical development of this south-western region of Poland. He describes the role of the Church in the initial formation of the Piast principalities, which laid the foundation for their further development. He indicates the role of the medieval religious orders – especially the Cistercians – in the economic development of Silesia. The first schools and asylums (hospitals) in Silesia appeared also thanks to the Church. Christian Caritas stimulated acts of mercy both on behalf of the most important people in the world as well as those whose social role was less significant. The Catholic Church in Silesia contributed to the creation of a multinational society by bringing together individuals and a community, in which the status of a person was not thanks to the noble birth or money, but thanks to the same dignity of being a child of God. Over the centuries, the Church has prevented the confrontation caused by the national divides or by all kinds of awakenings of nationalisms or totalitarianisms. The Church actively defended the victims and called for respect for every human being. The author also points to the culture-building role of the Church, especially through the works that the Church has left as the treasures of the past. Of course, it should not be forgotten that people of the Church were also children of their era.

The article is a voice in the debate over the role of the Church in contemporary world. It is a message about the truth of the Catholic Church, with its positive contribution to many domains of the world: at the economic, political and cultural level. It must be remembered that the main objective of the Church is to proclaim the proximity of the Kingdom of God, which began on earth with the mission of Jesus Christ. The Church proclaims Christ through man. Paradoxically, all the charity, economic and cultural activity of the Church – as discussed in this article – is not the main objective of the Church. These activities are a means of achieving the objective. This is the way in which the Church transforms the world, in accordance to the will of God the Creator, who ordered people to fill the earth and subdue it. In this manner, the Church participates in the divine plan of salvation.

Lunin’s Sustaining Faith

2021-02-13T19:26:27+01:00

[Abstrakt tylko w j. polskim / Abstract only in Polish]

Michaił Łunin skazany został na zesłanie na Sybir za udział w ruchu dekabrystów. Podczas swego pobytu w Paryżu i w Polsce Łunin przyjął katolicyzm i odtąd wiara ta stanowiła dla niego źródło siły i intelektualnej inspiracji podczas jego dwudziestoletniego zesłania. Artykuł analizuje wypowiedzi Łunina w kwestiach teologicznych oraz na temat roli Kościoła w życiu jednostek i w życiu społecznym.

Baptismal Names in Peasant Families of the Fajslawice Area in the Second Half of the 18th Century

2021-02-13T19:26:27+01:00

First names given to children depend on many factors: ethnic background, religion, geographic location, societal status or time period. This article deals with the name-giving pattern and its evolution in peasant families during the period 1757-1809 in four villages within the realm of the parish of Fajsławice in the Lublin Region. The four villages in question were: Fajsławice, Siedliska, Suchodoły and Wola Idzikowska. At the beginning of the period under analysis, the pool of baptismal names was rather small: only 33 different male and 26 female names were used. The distribution of these names was hardly homogenous: 8.3% of all boys were named Wojciech, 19.8% of girls – Marianna, while some other names were used only once. A similar pattern was also observed in the other regions of Poland at that time. In order to identify what motivated parents as regards name selection, a few factors have been investigated: birth near the patron saint day, name inheritance from parents, and inspiration from the local cult of saints. The statistical analysis of the annual distribution of given names over the first 13 years of the parish’s existence proved to be most strongly affected by the date of birth: 95.8% of all boys were given the name of a saint, whose patron date was in the period of 4 weeks before or 4 weeks after the boy’s birth date; 81.6% for those who were born two weeks before or one week after the patron date. In most cases, the name was selected after a patron whose day was after the birth date. For girls’ names, the effect of the birth date on the baptismal name was slightly weaker, but still dominant: 86.9% of all girls born during the period between 4 weeks before and 4 weeks after the saint day received the name of the patroness. The analysis has also shown that the children’s names were practically not affected by the parents’ names or the names of a parish patron saint. The same name was given to siblings only if the previous one had died. In the period of 50 years under analysis, the naming pattern underwent a significant change: 76 new names were introduced (44 for boys and 32 for girls). Practically all of them followed the calendar rule, but the crucial role in their selection was played by the parish priests: some of them were more conservative and introduced practically no new names; some others were very creative, although some of the names they suggested did not stay in the pool of active names for a long time. The tradition of giving two names was not very significant, but, some parish priests tended to give double names more often than others. Many new names, both single and double ones, were inspired by new saints canonized in the 17^th and the 18^th century, especially those, who were Jesuits.

A Contribution to the History of the Immaculate Conception of Mary Parish in Nidzica in the 19th Century

2021-02-13T19:26:27+01:00

In the first half of the 19^th century, the Catholics of Nidzica, deprived of pastoral care, participated in religious services in neighbouring Janowo. In 1841, when the Russian officials tightened their control of the borders, there occurred a necessity to stimulate the religious life in the Nidzica district. The Catholic mission in Nidzica was founded on 20 February 1854 by Bishop Anastazy Sedlag from Pelplin. Franciszek Wollschläger was appointed as its first priest. The financial support of the new pastoral institution was guaranteed by the Boniface Association in Paderborn. The construction of the church was initiated by another priest from Nidzica, Herman Wodecki. The foundation stone of the new temple was solemnly laid on 20 October 1858. The ceremony of consecration was held on 3 June 1860. Earlier, on 21 February 1860, the mission was upgraded to a parish. Four years later, a Catholic school was opened in Nidzica. In 1890, Józef Januszewski, a priest from Nidzica, built a new presbytery and a tower next to the church. The Catholic population of Nidzica and surrounding areas were poor, so not only the Bishopric of Culm participated in the maintenance costs of the parish, but also religious organisations from other parts of Germany.

The Status of the Archidioceses of Gniezno in the Light of Brevis descriptio historico-geographica ecclesiarum archidioecesis gnesnensis et posnaniensis by Jan Korytkowski of 1888

2021-02-13T19:26:28+01:00

This article is an analysis of Jan Korytkowski’s work entitled Brevis descriptio historico-geographica ecclesiarium archidioecesis gnesniensis et posnaniensis of 1888. This work is still a valuable resource for research in the organization and the estate structure of the oldest Polish dioceses of Gniezno and Poznań at the time after the Kulturkampf. The work under analysis is not confined to basic data of the sort available from ecclesiastical schematisms. Instead, the work also presents short histories of each parish and with its church, schools, orphanages and ecclesiastical fraternities. Moreover, it lists villages and towns that territorially belonged to each parish. Thanks to the data in Brevis descriptio, it is possible to precisely determine that in 1888, the oldest Polish Archdiocese had 16 deaneries, 207 parishes, 32 filial churches, 36 altarages, 54 oratories and public chapels, 389 parish schools and 28 hospitals. The Archdiocese gathered 354815 souls. Pastoral and state offices were occupied by 211 priests.

Primate Hlond’s Stance on the Nazi and Soviet Totalitarian Regimes

2021-02-13T19:26:28+01:00

The main theme of the present article is the stance taken by Primate Hlond on the Nazi and the Soviet totalitarian regimes, as inferable from selected writings and public addresses he made in the period just before the outbreak of World War II. His assessment of the regimes is negative, and he definitively condemned both of them. In his addresses, he focused more on Communism, which he considered the greatest threat to humankind for its ideological background. The Primate concentrated on analysing the ideological grounds of the two totalitarian systems, without delving into their structural make-up. He expounded the philosophical, anthropological and cultural premises of the two aggressive ideologies of the 20th century. He accused them of a falsified vision of man and state. In this vision, the main ambition of man is to be in power and to dominate others. Undeniably, Hlond’s ideas coincide directly with the views of Pope Pius XI. In view of the fact of their frequent encounters, it is not irrational to assume that they exchanged their views on that matter. Hlond’s texts reveal a genuine sense of anxiety with the endangerment of the world’s peace, brought about by the two ideologies in question. Hence, on his visits to Germany and other countries, he did his best to mobilize the Church there - as well as the cultural milieus - to oppose the growing German National Socialism and the Soviet Bolshevism, pointing out a global cataclysm that these ideologies had power to evoke.

Rola Franków w odrodzeniu Kościoła i cesarstwa na Zachodzie

2021-02-13T19:26:28+01:00

Święty Rafał Kalinowski OCD (1835-1907) tercjarzem franciszkańskim

2021-02-13T19:26:28+01:00

20 lat diecezji toruńskiej. Kościół na Pomorzu Nadwiślańskim w służbie Bogu i człowiekowi

2021-02-13T19:26:28+01:00

Duch Święty oraz Jego działanie w pis¬mach dogmatycznych i ascetycznych św. Ambrożego

2021-02-13T19:26:28+01:00

Biskup warmiński Józef Ambroży Geritz (1783¬1867). Życie i działalność

2021-02-13T19:26:28+01:00

Diecezja przemyska w latach 1944-1964

2021-02-13T19:26:29+01:00

Kościół włocławski w rzeczywistości PRL-u za czasów biskupa Antoniego Pawłowskiego (1951-1968)

2021-02-13T19:26:29+01:00

Zakony żeńskie W najnowszej historiografii polskiej

2021-02-13T19:26:29+01:00

Ks. Bogusław Dygdała, Struktury parafialne diecezji chełmińskiej w XVII-XVIII wieku, Toruń 2009, ss. 248

2021-02-13T19:26:29+01:00

Ks. Józef Dębiński, Duchowieństwo rzymskokatolickie diecezji włocławskiej w latach 1918-1939, Toruń: Wydawnictwo Naukowe Uniwersytetu Mikołaja Kopernika 2010, ss. 875

2021-02-13T19:26:29+01:00