Pope John Paul II’s Teaching and Gestures: The Influence on Polish-Jewish Reconciliation

• Authors: Luiza A. Wawrzyńska-Furman
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

PL

In the article, the author presents the influence of the theological teaching and symbolic gestures of Pope JohnPaul II on the Polish-Jewish reconciliation. Considering the main papal acts related to the Jewish community and Judaism, such as visiting the Great Synagogue of Rome, the apostolic visit to Israel (especially his visit to the Yad Vashem Institute and praying near the Western Wall), the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Holy See and the State of Israel, visiting the former Nazi concentration camp in Auschwitz-Birkenau, and hisact of repentance on 12 March 2000. She presents the possible influence of the Roman Catholic Church on the change of Polish attitudes towards Jews. She alsoexplains how the personal testimony of the Holocaust affected the Pope’s actions and opinions, and presents his teaching as innovative, post-Shoah theological doctrine, which changed the Holy See’s policy as well. The author presents John Paul II not only as an influential religious leader, significant theologian, and ethicist, but also as a politician and moral authority for Poles, who set the example for possessing a friendly attitude in relations with Jews and Israel, and recognized them as elder brothers in faith, and condemning all acts of anti-Semitism or anti-Judaism, which even today is accepted and justified by some of Poles.Full text: http://bazhum.muzhp.pl/czasopismo/589/?idno=14761

Keywords

PL

Pope John Paul II (1978–2005); Karol Wojtyła (1920–2005); Polish-Jewish Reconciliation; the Holocaust; anti- Semitism

• Publisher: Fundacja Copernicus na rzecz Rozwoju Badań Naukowych
• Journal: The Copernicus Journal of Political Studies
• Year: 2012
• Issue: 1 (1)

Dates

published

2012

online

2018-10-21

Contributors

author

Luiza A. Wawrzyńska-Furman

editor

Grzegorz Kopcewicz

editor

Natalia Olszanecka

editor

Daniel Urbański

editor

Joanna Piechowiak-Lamparska

editor

Agnieszka Bryc

editor

Bartosz Bojarczyk

editor

Feride Asli Ergul Jorgensen

editor

Dorota Niedziołka

editor

Anna Pacześniak

editor

Radosław Potorski

editor

Maria Wincławska

editor

Agata Włodkowska-Bagan

editor

Agnieszka Jeran

editor

Anna Mol

editor

Alex Solsbery

editor

Izabela Dąbrowska

editor

Mirosław Głodkowski

other

Grzegorz Kopcewicz

other

Natalia Olszanecka

other

Joanna Piechowiak-Lamparska

Identifiers

DOI

10.12775/18382