The Forgotten Synod of 1938. The Course and Content of the Statutes of the 2nd Synod of the Diocese of Tarnów

Abstract

A council is in general a great human reflection on doctrinal problems and on practices that the Church should incorporate in its mission. At a regional and local level, plenary synods, provincial synods and diocesan synods play an analogous role to ecumenical councils. A special role should be assigned to the diocesan synods because they stem from the needs of a concrete particular Church and by means of formulated disciplinary, pastoral and spiritual proposals, they are instrumental in shaping the ecclesial reality, reaching the very basic Church and social environments. Each synod has its own specific meaning in the history of a given diocese and its impact most definitely is not exhausted only in the letter of formulated proposals.

In 1938, it was ten years since the first synod and, according to the directives of the Code of Canon Law, the bishop of Tarnów was obliged to convene the 2^nd Synod of the Diocese of Tarnów. This was not the only motive because in 1936 the First Polish Plenary Synod was held. Therefore, it was only natural to adjust the diocesan law to the resolutions of that synod.

The subject of this article was formulated as follows: „The Forgotten Synod of 1938. The course and content of the statutes of the 2^nd Synod of the Diocese of Tarnów”. Why forgotten? So far, four synods were held in our diocese. All studies on synodal legislation in the diocese of Tarnów were based exclusively on three synods. When the second synod was discussed, a laconic comment often occurred that „the statutes of this synod were lost”. There was no research on the reconstruction of that synod’s statutes. The aim of this article is to present the reader with the motives for convening, the course and main problems addressed during the 2^nd Synod of the Diocese of Tarnów.