Spotkanie Ojca Świętego Jana Pawła II z przedstawicielami świata nauki i kultury w kolegiacie św. Anny w Krakowie (8 VI 1997)

Abstract

This article is based on research carried out a year after the visit of John Paul II in Poland and in the St. Anne’s University Church. More than 540 representatives of all Polish universities participated in that meeting (mainly rectors and deans) and well-known persons from the world of culture. A questionnaire was filled in by approximately 14% participants of the meeting with Saint Peter’s Successor. 43% of them were laypeople between 61-75 years of age. The article focuses on the following issues: context of the meeting with the Holy Father, estimation of the value of the meeting with John Paul II, the consequences of that meeting for Polish science. For the majority of respondents the meeting in St. Anne’s Collegiate Church was more important than the Holy Mass on Błonia in Krakow (canonization of St. Hedwig, Queen of Poland, the foundress of the oldest University in Poland) which collected over one million people. The participants in the meeting in St. Anne’s Collegiate Church experienced mostly: strong emotion (36%), joy and happiness (24%) and radiance of John Paul II sainthood (19%). However, 42% of respondents did not know what consequences will be brought by the meeting with John Paul II. But for 22% it had vital significance, since it allowed to identify with him, for example in public speeches and a selected type of activity.