Karol Wojtyla to Poland - John Paul II to the World

speakers

Dr ŁukaszAdamski

Expert on Eastern Europe, deputy director of the Juliusz Mieroszewski Dialogue Centre. Graduated in international relations from the Faculty of Journalism and Political Science at the University of Warsaw. In 2011 he obtained his doctoral degree at the Institute of History of the Polish Academy of Sciences. From 2006 to 2011, he worked at the Polish Institute of International Affairs as an analyst and later as head of the research team for Poland's bilateral relations in Europe. Since 2016, deputy director of the Polish-Russian Dialogue and Understanding Centre, transformed into the Juliusz Mieroszewski Dialogue Centre in 2022. Author of publications on Polish-Ukrainian and Polish-Russian relations and the politics of memory.
RobinBarnett

His first foreign mission was to Poland in 1982-85, during the period of martial law. He later held various diplomatic posts at home and abroad, including at arms control negotiations in Vienna and at the UN in New York. He has served three times as British Ambassador to Poland, most recently from 2011 to 2016, and has also been Ambassador to Romania and most recently to Ireland. He is currently a commentator and consultant once again based in Warsaw.
Rabbi Jack Bemporad

Holds two major professional positions, the first as Director of the nonprofit Center for Interreligious Understanding in New Jersey, which he founded in 1992. He is also a Professor and Director Emeritus of the John Paul II Center for Interreligious Studies, both at the Vatican’s St. Thomas Aquinas University (the Angelicum) in Rome, where he has been teaching for the past 20 years. He is co-currently the rabbi of Congregation Micah of New Jersey, in Cresskill, New Jersey. In addition, in 2016 Rabbi Bemporad became the first person ever to receive an honorary Ph.D. in Theology from the Angelicum since that University’s founding in 1577. Over the years he has brought Imams and Muslim Scholars to Auschwitz, worked with Christian, Hindu, Muslim, and Buddhist groups, and received honors and awards from each. In addition, he has authored and edited numerous books, scholarly works, and articles. Most recently, he contributed the chapter on the Book of Genesis for an interpretive edition of the Hebrew Bible, published by the Hebrew- Christian Friendship Society of Rome, for which Pope Francis wrote the introduction.
Prof. Juan Manuel Burgos

Juan Manuel Burgos (www.juanmanuelburgos.es) is a philosopher and author of the proposal of Integral Personalism. He is Founder and president of the Spanish Association of Personalism, of the Ibero-American Association of Personalism and of the Scopus Indexed Magazine "Quién”. He is also Director of the Official Master's Degree in Personalist Philosophy offered by the Anáhuac University (Mexico) – AEP, Director of the Master on Karol Wojtyla / John Paul II and Full Professor at the Villanueva University. He has published numerous scientific articles and 18 individual books. His books have been translated into English, Polish, Portuguese and German.
Rocco Buttiglione

Buttiglione studied Law at the Universities of Turin and Rome, where in 1970 he obtained a degree with a thesis in the History of Political Doctrines. From 1978 his interests started to expand into Polish culture and the philosophical personalism of the Lublin school, and especially that of Karol Wojtyla. In this period Buttiglione wrote many articles clarifying the distinctions between Marxism and Christian doctrine. In 1982 he published two books: the first about the mind and philosophy of Karol Wojtyla and the second about the new philosophy of human labour which underlies the Encyclical Laborem Exercens. He has been head chair of political philosophy and political science at Teramo University and at S. Pio V University in Rome. He has been a Member of Parliament since 1994. He has been Minister for European Affairs (2001-2005), Minister of Culture (2006) and Vice President of the Chamber of Deputies (until 2013). He back to teaching and scientific research.
Prof. Piotr Czauderna

Head of the Dept. of Surgery and Urology for Children and Adolescents Medical University of Gdansk, Poland and President of the Section and Board of Paediatric Surgery Section of the UEMS. A councillor of Gdansk and vice-chairman of the Gdansk City Council in the 2014-2018 term, he has completed many academic internships abroad. He has been a member of awards committees as well as many teams at the Ministry of Health, including: the National Oncology Strategy, rare diseases and the National Cancer Institute, which he chaired. From October to December 2019, he was president of the Medical Research Agency. He has received numerous scientific awards. He has been awarded the Gold and Silver Cross of Merit, as well as the medal of the 100th anniversary of Independence and the medal of the Commission of National Education.
AndrzejDraguła

Polish Roman Catholic priest of the Zielona Góra-Gorzów diocese, PhD in theology and a publicist. He works as an associate professor at the University of Szczecin. He serves as Chairman of the Scientific Council of the Institute of Theological Sciences. Member of the Committee of Theological Sciences of the Polish Academy of Sciences. He is a member of the Scientific Council of the Więzi Laboratory. He has published, among others, in Więzi, Rzeczpospolita, W drodze and Tygodnik Powszechny.
Dr. Anthony Eames

The Director of Scholarly Initiatives at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute, where he oversees the development of academic alliances and is responsible for fellowships and programs that support scholarship on the Reagan presidency, legacy, and era. He is the author of A Voice in Their Own Destiny: Reagan, Thatcher, and Public Diplomacy in the Nuclear 1980s (UMass) and co-author of Sharing Nuclear Secrets: Trust, Mistrust, and Ambiguity in Anglo-American Relations, 1939-Present (Oxford). He has spoken and published widely on nuclear and national security issues, including for The Journal of Military History, Technology & Culture, and War on the Rocks. Dr. Eames earned his Ph.D. in history from Georgetown University and currently teaches at George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs.
Dr. Elizabeth Edwards Spalding

Chairman of the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation (VOC). As Founding Director, Dr. Spalding was instrumental in the establishment of the Victims of Communism Museum, overseeing the extensive research, writing, and execution of the entire project. A third-generation anticommunist, she has devoted her career to scholarship and education about the history and horrors of communism. Dr. Spalding teaches subjects ranging from U.S. foreign policy, national security, and international relations to the presidency, religion, and politics as Senior Fellow at the Pepperdine University School of Public Policy and Visiting Fellow at the Van Andel Graduate School of Government at Hillsdale College, and previously taught at Claremont McKenna College, George Mason University, and the Catholic University of America. A frequent public lecturer on numerous topics, especially communism and the Cold War, she is also a core faculty member in VOC’s National Seminar for Middle and High School Educators. She is the author of The First Cold Warrior: Harry Truman, Containment, and the Remaking of Liberal Internationalism and the co-author of A Brief History of the Cold War. Her scholarly and popular articles and reviews have been published widely, including in Journal of Church and State, Orbis, The Wilson Quarterly, Providence, The American Mind, Law & Liberty, H-Diplo, and Claremont Review of Books.
Andrea Gagliarducci

Vatican analyst at ACI Group/EWTN and communications adviser to the Council of European Bishops Conferences. He collaborates with several magazines and agencies in Europe, with particular emphasis on the Holy Sees diplomacy and analysis on all matters related to the Vatican. He runs an English-language blog MondayVatican and a blog in Italian, Vatican Reporting. He wrote seven books. The last is “La Chiesa del Futuro” (Città Nuova), a reflection on synodality and the Church.
Dr EduardHabsburg-Lothringen

Ambassador of the Republic of Hungary to the Holy See and the Order of Malta, descendant of the Habsburg imperial family, great-great-grandson of Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria-Hungary and Elisabeth of Bavaria, known as Sisi. Graduate of the Katholische Universität Eichstätt, where he obtained his doctorate magna cum laude in 1999 on the basis of a dissertation entitled The End of Neutralism. Author of novels and film scripts, including The Christmas Dog and Mary, Queen of Scots. Spokesman for Bishop Hans Küng in the Diocese of Sankt Pölten from 2009 to 2014. Since 2015, member of the Confraternity of Santa Maria dell'Anima in Rome. In the same year appointed Ambassador of Hungary to the Holy See. Since 2016. Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece - the knightly house order of the former Habsburg ruling house of Austria.
Janusz Kotański

Poet, historian, author of scripts for historical documentaries. He has published five volumes of poetry the last one Roman Poems in 2022. Author of books about the Blessed Primate of the Millennium Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński and Blessed Father Jerzy Popiełuszko. He has worked, among others, in: Public Education Office of the Institute of National Remembrance, Copernicus Science Centre, Museum of John Paul II and Primate Wyszyński. He was also Director of the Press Office of the Chancellery of the Sejm. From 2016 to 2022, he served as Ambassador of the Republic of Poland to the Holy See and the Order of Malta. He lives in Warsaw.
prof. Myrosław Marynowich

Former human rights activist, dissident, publicist, Christian philosopher. One of the founders of the Ukrainian Helsinki Group (1976), political prisoner (1977-1987), founder of the first Amnesty International group in Ukraine. President (2010-2014) and honorary president of the Ukrainian Centre PEN International (since 2014). Member of the First of December Initiative Group (since 2011) and the Nestor Group (since 2012). Since 1997 he has been the director and currently the president of the Institute of Religion and Society Ukrainian Catholic University, and since 2000 – vice-rector of this University. Knight of the State Orders of Ukraine For Courage 1st degree, Freedom, Prince Yaroslav the Wise V degree, as well as on the Polish side – the Order of Merit (Knights Cross), the Jerzy Giedroyc Award of the daily Rzeczpospolita and the Medal of Gratitude of the European Solidarity Centre. Author of several books and numerous publications in Ukrainian and foreign media.
Ks. Dr AdamPawlaszczyk

Priest of the Archdiocese of Katowice, editor-in-chief of the weekly "Gość Niedzielny". Ordained a priest in 1998. From 2005 to 2012 employee of the Metropolitan Court in Katowice, then from 2012 to 2014 Chancellor of the Metropolitan Curia in Katowice, and since 2014 official of the Metropolitan Court. In 2010, he obtained his doctoral degree in canon law from the Faculty of Canon Law at Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski University in Warsaw. Author of poetry, religious songs, articles and columns. He has collaborated with, among others, Polish Television, Radio Katowice and Radio eM. In January 2018, he took up the post of editor-in-chief of "Gość Niedzielny".
MarcinPrzeciszewski

Historian, journalist, president of the Catholic Information Agency. Graduate of the Faculty of History at the University of Warsaw. One of the founders of the first "Faith and Light" communities in Poland, associating mentally disabled persons. Vice-Chairman of the International Council of that movement from 1986 to 1991. Between 1989 and 1993, editor-in-chief of the Christian quarterly "Light and Shadows". Author of articles in the periodicals 'Ład', 'Powściągliwość i Praca' and 'Spotkania'. Since 1993, Chairman of the Board of the Catholic Information Agency. He is one of the founders of the "Dzieło Nowego Tysiąclecia" Foundation and the Union of Large Families "Trzy Plus". Co-organised the media coverage of John Paul II's pilgrimages to Poland and the World Youth Day in Krakow in 2016. Consultor of the Council for Social Media of the Polish Episcopate and member of the Team of the Polish Episcopal Conference for Dialogue with the Russian Orthodox Church.
Dr Jarosław Sellin

In 1982-88, he studied at the University of Gdańsk, where he defended his masters thesis on the Jewish question in the First Republic in the years of the Four-Year Sejm. From 1983, he was associated with the anti-communist opposition. He took part in the Round Table talks (February-April 1989) in the so-called youth sub-table. Between 2005 and 2007, he served as Secretary of State (Deputy Minister) at the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage. In 2007, he was re-elected to the Sejm from the Law and Justice lists. In the parliamentary elections in October 2015, he won the support of almost 35,000 residents of Pomerania, achieving the best result among all candidates of all electoral committees in the constituency.
George Weigel

Catholic theologian and one of America’s leading public intellectuals. He holds EPPC’s (Ethics & Public Policy Center) William E. Simon Chair in Catholic Studies. Mr. Weigel is perhaps best known for his widely translated and internationally acclaimed two-volume biography of Pope St. John Paul II: the New York Times bestseller, Witness to Hope (1999), and its sequel, The End and the Beginning (2010). In 2017, Weigel published a memoir of the experiences that led to his work as a papal biographer: Lessons in Hope — My Unexpected Life with St. John Paul II. George Weigel is the author or editor of more than thirty other books, many of which have been translated into other languages. He is the recipient of nineteen honorary doctorates in fields including divinity, philosophy, law, and social science.

program
17October2023

09:30 - 10:00

Welcome

Metropolitan Archbishop of Warsaw - Cardinal Kazimierz Nycz

Director of the Museum of John Paul II and Primate Wyszyński - Piotr Dmitrowicz

10:00 - 11:30

Lectures and discussion: Responsibility for man

- Man, the inspiration of John Paul II
Prof. Juan Manuel Burgos, Universidad Villanueva, Madrid (Spain)

- The future of man depends on culture
Prof. Rocco Buttiglione, University of International Studies of Rome (UNINT) (Italy)

- Suffering - The unwritten encyclical of John Paul II
Prof. dr. hab. Piotr Czauderna, Medical University of Gdańsk (Poland)

moderating Mr. Marcin Przeciszewski, Catholic Information Agency

11:30 - 11:45

Morning break

11:45 - 13:15

Meanders of geopolitics

Introductory lecture and moderating Mr. Janusz Kotański – served as a Polish Ambassador to the Holy See and the Sovereign Military Order of Malta (Poland)

Dr. Elizabeth Edwards Spalding, Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation (USA)

Mr. Robin Barnett, served as the British Ambassador to Poland (United Kingdom)

Dr. Eduard Habsburg-Lothringen, Embassy of Hungary to the Holy See and the Sovereign Military Order of Malta (Hungary)