Józef Życiński

Józef Mirosław Życiński ( born September 1, 1948 in Nowa Wies, community Rozprza, powiat Piotrkowski (Poland ); † February 10, 2011 in Rome) was a Polish theologian, philosopher and Roman Catholic Archbishop of Lublin.

Life

Józef Życiński studied at the seminary in Czestochowa and received on June 19, 1971 by Franciszek Musiel, Auxiliary Bishop of Czestochowa, the diaconate, and on 21 May 1972 Stefan Barela, Bishop of Czestochowa, the ordination. In 1976 he received his doctorate at the Faculty of Theology Krakow to Doctor Theologiae, then his doctorate at the Faculty of Theology Warsaw to the doctor of philosophy. In 1980 he habilitated with a work on the relativistic cosmology.

Since 1980 he has held the chair of logic and methodology at the Pontifical Academy of Theology and later at the Pontifical University of John Paul II in Krakow. From 1982 to 1985 Życiński was associate dean and 1988-1990 Dean of the Faculty of Arts. He engaged in particular interdisciplinary problems of philosophical questions in science.

Pope John Paul II appointed him in 1992 as Bishop of Tarnów. He received his episcopal consecration on 4 November 1990, the Archbishop of Krakow, Cardinal Franciszek Macharski; Co-consecrators were Stanislaw Nowak, archbishop of Czestochowa, and Ignacy Tokarczuk, Archbishop of Przemysl. 1997 Józef Życiński was appointed Archbishop of Lublin.

He has authored several hundred scientific publications, among others, which have appeared in English, German, Italian, French, Spanish, Russian, Slovak and Hungarian. He taught at the University of California, Berkeley, the Catholic University of America in Washington, the Australian Catholic University and Oxford University. 2006/ 07 he was a visiting professor at The Nanovic Institute for European Studies of the University of Notre Dame. He was Chancellor of the Catholic University of Lublin. It was also Józef Życiński member of the Permanent Council of the Polish Bishops ' Conference and the Joint Commission of the Bishops' Conference with the government of Poland. He was a member of the Pontifical Council for Culture and consultant to the Congregation for Catholic Education in Rome. Archbishop Życiński been a member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts in Salzburg and a foreign member of the Russian Academy of Sciences. He was a doctor honoris causa of the University of Agriculture in Lublin and the Jagiellonian University in Krakow.

In 2007, he was named the Catholic Student Association Markomannia in KV to Munster, the Polish twin city of Lublin, an honorary member. On 5 May 2007, the KV Zycinski distinguished for his services, particularly for his efforts to understanding between Germans and Poles, with the Georg von Hertling Medal.

The theologian died 10 February 2011 probably of a heart attack, which he has in a hotel in Rome in the context of participation in a meeting of the Congregation for Catholic Education, suffered. He was on 19 February 2011 after a requiem in St. Mary's Cathedral of Lublin, led by Archbishop Celestinio Migliore, the Apostolic Nuncio in Poland, and was buried in the presence of Polish President Bronisław Komorowski and politicians as Władysław Bartoszewski and Tadeusz Mazowiecki. President Komorowski honored Józef Życiński posthumously with the Grand Cross of the Rebirth of Poland ( Order of Polonia Restituta ).

Work

Józef Życiński was considered the most prominent church participants in public life in Poland and in the Polish media; he was the leading representative of the liberal wing of the Catholic Church in Poland and fought vehemently anti-Semitism. He was a guarantor for reconciliation and engaged in ecumenical dialogue with the Orthodox and the Christian- Jewish dialogue.

From his liberal attitude out Zycinski criticized the National Catholic wing of the Church in Poland, such as the Alliance of Radio Maria with the right-wing nationalist parties, he also turned vigorously against the slanderous reports of the current Prime Minister Tusk for the alleged " grandfather in the Wehrmacht ." This attitude naturally brought him in Poland also much criticism ..

A particular concern was to support the Renovabis action Zycinski.