The Person and the Challenges, 2025, Vol. 15, No. 1

Stały URI dla kolekcjihttps://theo-logos.pl/handle/123456789/37744

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Review of the monograph “Cherish Family Life”, edited by prof. Elżbieta Osewska
Obelenienė, Birutė (The Pontifical University of John Paul II in Cracow, 2025)
Devastation activities of school religious education in Poland by the so-called December 13 coalition government
Zając, Marian; Jasnos, Andrzej (The Pontifical University of John Paul II in Cracow, 2025)
From the periphery to the heart of the world. Francis and his final journey
Buksa, Łukasz; Derdziak, Liubov (The Pontifical University of John Paul II in Cracow, 2025)
Assumptions and forms of national education in the Second Polish Republic in the years 1918–1926 as a continuation of school ideas of the autonomous Galicia
Juśko, Paweł (The Pontifical University of John Paul II in Cracow, 2025)
This article explores how educational ideas developed in Polish Galicia during the autonomous period influenced the concept of national upbringing in the Second Polish Republic (1918–1926). After regaining independence, Polish schools – especially folk and secondary – drew on Galician models of patriotic education. The repolonisation of schools in Galicia enabled the implementation of national pedagogy promoted by thinkers such as Zygmunt Balicki, Mieczysław Baranowski, and Edward Gabryelski. Patriotic values were transmitted through school celebrations, historical anniversaries, student organisations, theatres, orchestras, and reading. Between 1918 and 1926, these ideas were adapted by educators like Lucjan Zarzecki, Władysław Marian Borowski, and Ludwik Skoczylas. Drawing on Galician experiences, schools aimed to rebuild national identity and counteract the effects of the Partitions. National education thus became a key legacy of Polish culture, science, and pedagogy in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
The genesis and variants of the Polish song “Krzyżu święty nade wszystko”
Garnczarski, Stanisław (The Pontifical University of John Paul II in Cracow, 2025)
The Polish Song Krzyżu święty nade wszystko, was created on the basis of a translation of three stanzas (no. 8–10) from the hymn Pangue lingua gloriosi preolium certaminis and a compilation with the content of the 13th-century Vita beatae Virginis Mariae et Salvatoris rhytmica and selected verses from the 15th-century Polish song Żale Marji Panny pod krzyżem, starting with an incipit Posłuchajcie, bracia miła, also known as Lament świętokrzyski. Such treatments seem to be rare in the religious poetry used in Polish sacred songs. In terms of content, the hymn in honour of the Cross was accompanied by meditations of the Mother of God, who suffered from the Crucified. The studied song has one version, and the variations are limited to changes caused by the number of stanzas, the change of words due to the modernisation of the language, or the use of synonyms. Only a few lines or words have been changed. This proves the use of the song in a commonly known form, without actually introducing changes to our times. Some sources (in the 20th-century) shortened the text to 4- or 5-stanzas. Most editions transmit the most common 16-stanzas song.
Biology versus gender ideology: What we can learn from the successful lawsuit of Prof. Ulrich Kutschera
Oko, Dariusz (The Pontifical University of John Paul II in Cracow, 2025)
Professor Ulrich Kutschera, a renowned German biologist, is known not only for academic work but also for engaging the public in scientific debate. He strongly criticizes gender theory, which he considers pseudoscience, warning against its spread at universities and the misuse of research funding. Kutschera defends the biological family model as key to human development, a stance that led to public backlash and legal charges filed by a same-sex couple. After a lengthy trial, he was acquitted in all instances, presenting scientific arguments to support his position. Kutschera’s case exemplifies resistance to ideologies imposed without scientific grounding, often enforced with totalitarian methods. His attitude evokes comparisons to Andrei Sakharov’s fight against Soviet ideology. Kutschera stands as a model of courage in defending science, truth, and freedom—offering encouragement to those committed to the common good and the pursuit of truth.
Contradictions between understanding sexuality in Catholic education (CE) and comprehensive sexuality education (CSE)
Obelenienė, Birutė (The Pontifical University of John Paul II in Cracow, 2025)
The article raises the problem that understanding sexuality in comprehensive sexual education strongly contradicts an understanding of sexuality in Catholic education. To establish these contradictions and main differences, the qualitative content analysis method was used to evaluate the concept of sexuality in the content of the guidelines for comprehensive sexuality education from a Christian anthropological perspective. An evaluation of the comprehensive sexuality education document in the light of Christan anthropology reveals that the concept of sexuality in comprehensive sexuality education is fundamentally inconsistent with the concept of sexuality in Catholic education.
Closeness in human relationships from an interdisciplinary perspective
Godawa, Grzegorz (The Pontifical University of John Paul II in Cracow, 2025)
Interpersonal closeness is a research issue, the exploration of which requires an interdisciplinary approach. The realisation of this objective has resulted in the presentation of closeness from a proxemic, haptic, psychopedagogical, philosophical and theological perspective. The outcome of the exploration is showing the contexts for understanding and implementing closeness in different areas of life. The article presents an attempt to conceptualise interpersonal closeness, which draws on the author’s research. Its findings complement the literature search on the subject. Closeness is the co-presence of people and its purpose is mutual bestowing. The nature of this relationship is determined by internal factors as well as external conditions. What emerges from the analyses are postulates for establishing and strengthening closeness between people.
Education and formation of catechists and teachers of religion in the Czech Republic. Challenges and perspectives
Kuźniar, Mariusz G. (The Pontifical University of John Paul II in Cracow, 2025)
This article presents a view of the contemporary situation in the field of training and lifelong education of catechists and teachers of religion within the Roman Catholic Church in the Czech Republic. The catechetical ministry always has a concrete form and a concrete addressee; therefore, it is useful to first address the context of this ministry in contemporary Czech society, and a short historical excursion should serve this purpose. This is the period since the fall of communism. The next part of the article deals with the issue of the legislative organisation of teaching in public schools and the resulting requirements for the professional qualification of a teacher of religion. The third chapter pays attention to catechetical formation, which from the point of view of the Church is crucial in the whole process of evangelisation (part of which is also catechesis). The fourth chapter analyses the system of education and formation of catechists and teachers of religion in the Czech Republic (basic and lifelong). The last part pays attention to some important challenges related to teaching religion and catechesis in the Czech secular environment. It also attempts to develop perspectives related to catechetical ministry in the Czech society.
Karol Wojtyła as a model of a mature educator in the light of the concept of Zdzisław Chlewiński
Juroszek, Weronika (The Pontifical University of John Paul II in Cracow, 2025)
The theme of the paper centres around role models in values education. The purpose of this paper is to answer the following research question: how was the model maturity of Karol Wojtyła as an educator manifested? Reference was made to the concept of mature personality by Zdzisław Chlewiński (1991), who listed three criteria for maturity: personal (personalistic) attitude towards another person, autonomy, and reliable insight into oneself. The results of the analysis showed that Karol Wojtyła’s maturity manifested itself in an exemplary fulfilment of the aforementioned criteria, as demonstrated by examples from his life and teaching. Emphasis was placed on Wojtyła’s authenticity as an educator who not only brought others up to maturity, but was also truly mature himself. Perfect correspondence between his life and teaching was emphasised as well. The author has used Wojtyła’s biographies. Among the numerous studies and source texts on Wojtyła’s life and teaching, those were selected that pertained to the determinants of maturity detailed by Chlewiński. The focus was on the adolescence and early youth of the future Pope John Paul II. Chlewiński’s concept appears as a concise, coherent approach that can be used in subsequent analyses of the life and teaching of truly mature people.
Role of demographic factors in the formation of grandareting styles
Kovač, Jernej; Kurnik, Saška (The Pontifical University of John Paul II in Cracow, 2025)
As population ageing is a global trend of our time, the relationships we form with older people are becoming increasingly important. The relationship between grandparents, adult children and grandchildren plays an important role. The definition of grandparenthood can also include activities with grandchildren, emotional attachment, and the quality of the relationship between grandchildren and grandparents. In this paper, we have focused on the relationship between grandparents and grandchildren, with special attention to the influence of demographic factors on the formation of grandparenting styles. At the same time, we researched the following grandparenting styles that are most frequently mentioned in the literature: formal, fun-seeker, surrogate parent, reservoir of family wisdom and distant figure. We found in our study that there are significant differences in individual grandparenting styles in relation to gender, age and marital status, while no major differences were detected in terms of education and place of residence.
Effectiveness of the therapeutic process and categories of change in relational family therapy
Kreš, Barbara (The Pontifical University of John Paul II in Cracow, 2025)
The effectiveness of a psychotherapeutic approach is often measured by the changes in various areas of the client’s life that result from the therapeutic process. Research in this area shows that the common factors that promote change are elements that are present in all forms of therapy, such as therapeutic alliance, empathy, positive expectations, and corrective emotional experiences. In this study, we examined changes in psychotherapy, focusing on changes in the relational family therapy model. The study was conducted with 130 participants who were divided into an experimental group and a control group, one of which participated in relational family therapy and the other was not involved in psychotherapeutic treatment. The participants completed the Systemic Therapy Inventory of Change (STIC)1 after the first therapy session and again after three months of therapy, with the same time period between the first and last test for the control group. The results of the study show that clients who participated in relational family therapy showed greater changes in various systems than those who did not receive psychotherapy. The results suggest that relational family therapy promotes positive changes in various areas of client functioning after three months of therapy.
Legislative reforms of John Paul II in the field of the protection of minors in the light of the principle of “lex sequitur vitam”
Jaszcz, Adam (The Pontifical University of John Paul II in Cracow, 2025)
The pontificate of John Paul II deserves an objective evaluation, considering the activity of the pope in various areas of ecclesiastical life. From the point of view of the universal Church as an institution managed by the successor of St. Peter, it is crucial to promulgate laws while maintaining the supernatural dimension of the Church, while also taking into account the most fundamental principles of lawgiving. One of these principles is expressed in the words: lex sequitur vitam, which means that the changing life of the community is always combined with changes in the law. The article poses the question of whether the principle of lex sequitur vitam has been considered and applied in the legislation of John Paul II aimed at combating the phenomenon of abuse of minors. What determinants of legislation did John Paul II consider when making subsequent changes in the canon law? The article shows that the preparation of laws in accordance with the art of law-making must be subject to certain rules, so that the law corresponds to the social situation.
The pursuit of the good life in the philosophical explorations of Immanuel Kant, Jean Nabert and Paul Ricoeur
Zuziak, Władysław; Żmuda-Frydrychowska, Barbara (The Pontifical University of John Paul II in Cracow, 2025)
This article will present the concept of “good life” in the ethics of I. Kant and its criticism by the representative of the philosophy of consciousness J. Nabert and P. Ricoeur. The identification of the pursuit of the “good life” with the pursuit of happiness comes from Greek eudaimonism. In Kant, the achievement of happiness was reduced to obedience to the law. The source of evil is immorality, identified by him as disobedience to the law. The limitations and erroneous assumptions of this formalistic concept were demonstrated by J. Nabert and P. Ricoeur. Nabert accused Kantian ethics of using an abstract notion of freedom and not considering the inner experience. On the basis of Kant’s criticism, Nabert developed his own concept of evil as the unjustifiable and the possibility of overcoming evil through the desire for justification. Ricoeur, in turn, criticised, among other things, the Kantian reduction of all forms of emotionality to the sphere of desire, which closes the way to a meaningful discussion of happiness, suffering or evil. Moreover, he pointed out the flaws in the very reduction of happiness to the “good life.” Against the background of these remarks, we discuss the contemporary limitations of philosophical reflections on good and evil and happiness and unhappiness.
Discernment through consecration
Mattheiss, Samantha R.; Laracy, Joseph R. (The Pontifical University of John Paul II in Cracow, 2025)
The Catholic Church faces a critical shortage of vocations, whereby it lacks available resources to evangelise and welcome others into a vibrant, resource-abundant ecclesial community. Meanwhile, young adults today tend to commit to vocations later, leaving a gap during which they remain uncommitted to a particular vocation, yet skilled, capable, and energetic. The current emphasis on increasing vocations seems to be through social media and advertisements, while Church teachings offer valuable insight into the process by which reflects on their inner life to make decisions. Yet, vocations remain scarce. Here, we propose a path towards authentic discernment based on John Paul II’s 1996 Apostolic Exhortation, Vita Consecrata. We suggest that young adults engage in a daily offering of both interior and exterior acts of love, strengthening their relationship with the Lord, fulfilling the universal vocation to love, and preparing them to hear the Lord’s call.
El bautismo y la “logiké latreía” en Joseph Ratzinger-Benedicto XVI y san Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer
Biedroń, Maciej; Marti, Pablo (The Pontifical University of John Paul II in Cracow, 2025)
In Rom 12:1, Christians are called to worship God as logikē latreia – a new form of New Covenant worship rooted in Christ’s sacrifice. Believers offer themselves as a spiritual sacrifice. While often linked to the Eucharist, baptism also plays a key role as the gateway to Christian life, the universal priesthood, and the worship of God. This study shows that both Joseph Ratzinger–Benedict XVI and St Josemaría present spiritual worship as grounded in the baptismal vocation. For Ratzinger, baptism is a call to logikē latreia through identification with Christ and consecration to God. For St Josemaría, it marks the beginning of Christian life and the possession of a “priestly soul” for sanctifying the world. Their views align with the teachings of the Second Vatican Council.
The Nicene Christology: “Homoousion to Patri”
Góźdź, Krzysztof (The Pontifical University of John Paul II in Cracow, 2025)
Pagan Rome persecuted the Church for nearly 300 years. The apogee of that persecution occurred during the times of Diocletian and Galerius in the late 3rd and early 4th centuries. Hence, it is hard to imagine that the next emperor, Constantine the Great (+337), embraced the Christian faith and proclaimed the freedom to practice this religion. At the same time, Arius (+336) sparked a great theological dispute with his understanding of the singularity and transcendence of God, which concerned the central question: is Jesus Christ a creature, subordinate to God, or is he God? Emperor Constantine became personally involved in this dispute, convened a council, and proposed the decisive word of the Nicene Creed: homoousios. Where did the emperor get this word? He probably borrowed it from Bishop Hosius of the Córdoba (+359). To more fully understand the meaning of this central concept, it is necessary to delve, on the one hand, into the earlier – Gnostic – understanding of the word, and, on the other, into the erroneous teaching of Arius, which the Council of Nicaea condemned. In its Creed, it stated that the Son of God is begotten, not made, and is of one substance with the Father, that is homoousion to Patri.
Specificity of Luke’s description of the mission of John the Baptist. An analysis of Luke 3:3–9,16–17
Łabuda, Piotr (The Pontifical University of John Paul II in Cracow, 2025)
The aim of this article is to highlight Luke’s editorial work in Luke 3:1–20, when he refers to John the Baptist. Undoubtedly, in his Gospel, the activity and teaching of the son of Zechariah are subordinated to Jesus, whom John the Baptist calls “the mightier”, the one who “is coming”. One can surely notice that the Evangelists look at John and his ministry in various ways. While telling the story of John the Baptist and Jesus, Luke selects and “edits” the materials available to him in order to emphasise the significance of Jesus and His mission. He focuses not so much upon the truth that the last of the Old Testament prophets is the predecessor of the Messiah, but rather upon God’s salvation that is drawing near. It could well be that he did this to contribute to a proper relationship between John’s disciples and the community of the early Church.
Rev. Prof. Józef Stala (1966–2025): In the service of science and the pursuit of purpose – perspectives, challenges, and academic achievements
Kłóś, Adam (The Pontifical University of John Paul II in Cracow, 2025)
Rev. Prof. Józef Stala (1966–2025) was a prominent Polish theologian, educator, and editor whose work significantly shaped catechetics, religious education, and family studies. Ordained in 1991, he pursued advanced theological studies and dedicated his academic career to the Pontifical University of John Paul II in Krakow, where he held leadership roles and fostered international collaboration. His scholarly achievements include numerous monographs, edited volumes, and educational resources, with a focus on the practical application of catechesis and family pedagogy. Stala contributed to curriculum development, participated in national and international research projects, and organized major academic conferences. Beyond academia, he served the Church and society through roles in diocesan bodies, acting as an expert and consultant to commissions and working groups appointed by the Polish Bishops’ Conference and to governmental committees, influencing educational policy and standards. As founder and editor-inchief of the journal “The Person and the Challenges”, he promoted international and interdisciplinary dialogue inspired by John Paul II. Stala’s legacy endures through his mentorship, service, and lasting impact on religious education and scholarship.

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