The Status of the Military Ordinariate in Poland in the Light of the Apostolic Constitution Spirituali Militium Curae and the Statute

Abstract

The history of organized military chaplaincy in Poland reaches back to the seventeenth century, even though there had already been chaplains who fulfilled their priestly duties, especially among military men going to battle. During the Second Polish Republic the pope Benedict XV established a field bishopric in Poland and appointed Stanisław Gall field bishop. After four years of his episcopal ministry, the pope Pius XI appointed Józef Gawlina new field bishop. In the period of Polish People's Republic the military ordinariate was not active as an organized particular church, but it existed in a very limited form, without its own bishop or jurisdiction of chaplains. The year 1991 proved to be decisive. This was when John Paul II revived the military ordinariate in Poland and appointed Sławoj Leszek Głódź field bishop, who was later succeeded by Tadeusz Płoski in 2004.

Military ordinariate resembles diocese. It is however a particular church of a unique character. Ordinariatus militaris seu castrensis governs itself by means of its own charters that specify the Apostolic Constitution Spirituali Militum Curae and organize military chaplaincy in Poland and abroad.

The jurisdiction of a military ordinary is personal, common and own, but joined cumulative with the jurisdiction of the diocese bishop. After over half a century of absence of a field bishop, the awareness of his function and jurisdiction has been diminished, hence numerous doubts and ambiguities.