Donuts, Dogmatics, and Doctorates

February 24th, 2006

First of all, I apologize for the spelling errors and typos in the previous entries. I have usually written them in a hurry, and then forgotten to spell-check and proofread. Well, at least it’s not a paper for a class.

Here I am in my residence (where it seems that I have been writing all of my reflections recently), after studying a little bit for my class on Dogmatic Theology. As I mentioned in the previous entry, my new friend, Kasia, the director of the Tertio Millennio Institute (http://www.tertio.krakow.pl/strony/english.htm), gave me the name of a Dominican who would be teaching a great class at the Pontifical Academy. At first, I was unsure as to whether I should go to the lecture or not, since I thought that I might have too much work on my plate. But, I am glad that I decided to go, since the class was amazing! Fr. Jaroslaw Kupczak, O.P., who received his doctorate at the John Paul II Institute for Marriage and Family Life in Washington, D.C, teaches the class, whose subject is John Paul II’s anthropological theology, and particularly the Theology of the Body. He introduced the class by talking about the concept of a “gift,” in natural philosophy, human society, and theology. Quoting from Dominum et Vivificantem, he introduced the whole subject matter by talking about the concept of life in the Holy Spirit as the source of all freedom, and about the Holy Trinity as the source of all love and true self-giving. Though the class will be very difficult, I am looking forward to reading and studying Karol Wojtyla in his own language! I have never taken courses in Polish, though I am a fluent speaker, so this is a whole new experience.

This week was marked by many new experiences in this area. Besides the class on the Theology of the Body, I also had my first class on Exegesis of the Pentateuch, as well as on Theology of Marriage and Family Life. Both classes were amazing, though the Old Testament class is definitely going to be a bit drier. The class on Theology of the Family has a very expansive list of documents and encyclicals that we should read, but I am not complaining. The professor, a younger priest, began the class by talking about how one cannot study theology without turning to the documents of the Church, to the deposit of faith and the Truth that comes to us from Christ and the apostles. His first introductory lecture was about the state of the family in society today, and about why it is crucial that young theologians be well versed in this area. Since families face many, many challenges in the years ahead, it will be an even more important topic to study, since many people will turn to theologians and Catholic philosophers looking for answers to the many crises.

I think that, as an American, I had a particularly unique perspective on what the professor was saying. One of his most memorable and profound statements was, “It is the task of the Theologian to discover the Truth, to immerse himself in the Truth, and then to spread the Truth, and defend it.” He mentioned many theologians “in the west, and even some in Poland,” who seek to create their own truth, one that is pleasing to them. I’m not sure the other students in the class knew what he was talking about, since the idea of a dissenting theologian is so foreign here. “Theologian” and “faithful and in love with the Church” are two concepts that go hand in hand here. Why would one be a theologian, without accepting what the Church teaches?

He then continues by stating, “Getting to know the Truth requires true heroism, because it is hard to accept, especially in the moral and ethical sphere.” He alluded to the attacks that John Paul II often faced from “liberal” theologians in regards to divorce, contraception, and abortion. Of course, these statements reminded me of the many American “Catholic” theologians and philosophers (some of whom teach from their distinguished chairs at Notre Dame) who do place themselves above the teachings of the Magisterium, because of a skewed understanding, or a radical agenda, that leads them to “create their own truths.” Fr. Swierczek, however, reminded us of the need for young people who are confirmed in the Truth, and who are confident about it. The theologian must not say that “something is true because the Church teaches it,” but rather, that “I believe this to be true because I have searched and wrestled with it, and am convinced of it as the Truth, and because it is the Truth, that is why the Church teaches it.”

Needless to say, I left this class more convinced and not afraid of the challenges that lie ahead for young Catholics who seek to be faithful to the teachings of the Church, particularly who want to follow the radical example set by John Paul the Great. I think that the Polish Church can serve as such a good example for the west. While we are concerned about a lack of vocations to the priesthood, about young people leaving the Church, liturgical abuses, and sexual scandals, the Polish Church is producing one third of all of the vocations in Europe. Of course, the Church here is also concerned about many young people who are giving into the “passing joys and satisfactions” of the ever-increasingly consumerist and materialist culture here in Poland, but there are many, many movements and ministries for young people, as well as support groups for young families, for students, and people in every walk of life. There are enough young people committed and grounded in their faith that there is much hope that Poland will not go the way of Western Europe.

Enough about classes. Yesterday, I was able to walk around and have a “walking tour” of Krakow. On my way to the Tertio Millennio Institute (which has jumped on the opportunity to have some translations done from Polish to English by a native speaker :^), I stopped by the U.S. Consulate in order to register as a U.S. Citizen here. I learned that U.S. Citizenship does, indeed, have its benefits: instead of waiting in the line that was out the door, once I was put through a metal detector, my camera, phone, palm pilot, and ID having been promptly taken away, under the gaze of President Bush and Cheney, whose pictures hung on the wall, I was given a nametag that said, “U.S. Embassy, Warsaw: Special Guest.” I was then escorted to the back room, and told to sit down, make myself comfortable, and take my time filling out the forms. Not too bad.

When I went to the Institute to pick up the work to translate, I was informed about a conference next week that will be taking place at the Catholic University of Lublin (KUL), where Karol Wojtyla taught for many years. This year’s focus will be on the ethics, philosophy, and anthropology of Wojtyla’s early thought. I am very tempted to go, but we will see…

Once again, I eagerly tried to see as many things as possible, while I had some free time in the city. I stopped by the Carmelite convent, with a very quaint and simple nineteenth-century church. It was quite unimpressive, in the artistic sense, but did indeed have the Carmelite simplicity that draws the soul into solitude. Next, I stopped by the Church of the Resurrection, a church built at the turn of the last century, and run by the Resurrectionist priests (whose founder is a Servant of God and whose tomb is in the church’s vestibule). It was a very interesting blend of Jewish synagogue and early Christian architecture, with very vivid colors, wooden trusses, and a gigantic menorah high above the altar. It was neat to see the connection between the Old and New Covenants so vividly played out in the design of the Church.

Next, I made my way over to the Historical Museum of the City of Krakow, which housed everything from medieval scepters of various guilds, to nineteenth century revolvers used in the uprising of 1848. Perhaps one of the neatest things was to see original documents, and copies of, the original charters of the city, as well as guilds. As usual, there were plentiful Renaissance vestments and liturgical furnishings and vessels. There was a very interesting monstrance in the shape of a large bark, the Bark of Peter, weathering the storms of time. The museum also housed a replica of the monument dedicated to Tadeusz Kosciuszko in Washington, D.C.

Afterwards, I wandered north with the eventual goal of getting to St. Florian’s Church (which I later learned is a minor basilica). On the way, I discovered yet another miraculous image to Our Lady, this time “Our Lady of St. John,” whose image has been an object of devotion here in Krakow for over five hundred years. The image was located in a little Baroque church on St. John Street, run by the Sisters of the Presentation, whose founder is also a Servant of God, and also buried in the church. I love the fact that one can walk into practically any church here in Krakow, and be surprised by some blessed, saint, or Servant of God who is buried there. In this case, it was Mother Zofia, the founder of the order, and the founder of the first school for girls in Poland, all the way back in the 1630’s! As usual, while I was in the church, there was an unexpected Mass, followed by the Divine Mercy Chaplet. The church was full to the brim of mostly old ladies, but also of young businessmen, and middle-aged men. Keep in mind, though, that this was at 2:30 p.m. on a weekday! After “stopping by” this church, which ended up being spending an hour and a half there, I finally made it over to St. Florian’s Church.

St. Florian’s is where the young Fr. Karol Wojtyla first spent his two years of ministry as a parochial vicar, just after being ordained. While serving there between 1949-1951, he was in charge of the ministry to college students. When he returned in later years, as Pope John Paul, he fondly remembered his time there, and named many of the people whom he remembered working with. Though not an avid fan of the later Baroque period, with all of its chubby cherubim, golden rays, and pomp and circumstance, I have to admit that this church was very tasteful. In fact, I think that it is one of the most beautiful churches I have seen. Particularly striking was the enormous crucifix, which hung above the sanctuary, as if suspended in the air by the angels who held it.

On my way back, I walked through Kleparz, or the area just north of the old city gates. In years past, it was the sight of unruly peasant masses and merchants involved in trade and bargaining. Now, this area is a district of the city, but there is still an old square named “Old Kleparz,” on which there are a few hundred fruit and vegetable stands, as well as stands that sell everything from lingerie to Red Army medals. It reminded me of Poland in the early 1990’s, just after the fall of communism, when such street vendors could be seen selling anything to the product-starved population. Now, these vendors are less common, since the economic market has been saturated with better, higher quality goods from both new Polish factories, as well as mostly French and Western European markets. It was fun to walk around, though, and to see the raw meat, vegetables, fruit, and anything else that one can sell to make a profit on.

Last night, we celebrated “Fat Thursday,” the Polish equivalent of Mardi Gras, although the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday (Mardi Gras) is a day of celebration as well (why not throw more parties, if you can?). We had paczki, or the Polish equivalent of American donuts, though the Polish ones are fried, and not baked, and usually have a filling made from rose petal preserves. I must say, that, with a cup of tea, was very satisfying after a long day. Speaking of food and drink, it’s time for obiad, or dinner, which is eaten here at 2:00-3:00 p.m., so I will go enjoy my food. Until next time…do zobaczenia!