Prace przygotowawcze do pierwszego synodu plenarnego w odrodzonej Polsce

Abstract

The first Polish Plenary Synod, which was held at Jasna Góra on August 25th‒26th, 1936, has not yet received a scientific description. As a step towards filling th is gap, this article has undertaken the problems connected with the preparatory work for that synod, the work which constituted the first stage in its realization. Using the records from the Conferences of the Episcopate for the years 1919‒1939, the author presented three stages of those preparatory activities, namely: 1) the proceedings of the Special Plenary Conference of the Episcopate in Gniezno in 1929, where the situation of the Catholic Church in Poland was first discussed and then the final decision concerning the convocation of a plenary synod in reborn Poland was taken; 2) the progress of the pre-synodal actions initiated by a Preparatory Committee, with Cardinal Hlond as the Chairman and bishop H. Przeździecki as the Secretary. The main responsibilities of the Committee were to prepare the materials sent in by bishops for the synodal resolutions, to control the progress of work, and to systematize the motions. The Committee called into being the General Synodal Committee and 10 Special Committees to work in 10 areas as established during the proceedings of the Preparatory Committee; finally 3) the activity of the General Synodal Committee and the Special Committees, which worked out the final versions of the synodal articles. The pre-synodal work continued for eight years (1928‒1936). Due to different obstacles the plenary synod, originally scheduled for 1931, eventually took place in 1936, after several changes of date. It was the crowning of the work undertaken by the Episcopate, and especially Cardinal Hlond, whose desire it was to see “that Polish Council of faith materialize. He realized the need for that synod and its significance for the Catholic life in Poland. The resolutions of the synod soon became obsolete for various reasons resulting from World War II and the general radical change in the human relations after the war, but mainly from the postcouncil reform of the canonical law. Nevertheless the first Polish plenary synod did not go unnoticed; it is a monument to the Polish particular law as well as a lasting testimony of the concern which the Polish Episcopate showed for “the Christian character of the Polish nation” in the first half of the 20th century.