Respondent

Trushchynski Marek

Theme

Catechesis in the Roman Catholic, Greek Catholic and  Orthodox  churches  in  the  North-Eastern  Poland  in  1945-1988.

Defence Date

21.10.2014

Annotation

Dissertation  for  the  degree  of  doctor  of  historical  sciences,  specialty
07.00.02.  –  World  History.  –  Lviv  National  Ivan  Franko  University.  –  Lviv,
2014.
The  thesis  highlights  the  catechesis  formation  in  the  Roman  Catholic,
Greek Catholic and Orthodox churches in the North-Eastern Poland in the times
of the Polish National Republic. From the mid 1940s until the end of the 1980’s
state  and  party  authorities  tried  to  crowd  out  the  Church  in  the  public  and
political life participation, and above all crowd out from the the education of the
young generation.
The  cathehisis study  in schools  was until 1961  when according to the
law  “On  the  educational  and  upbringing  systems‟  development”  the  religion
was  crowded  out  from  the  school  programs.  The  official  version  for  the
religious education‟s elimination was the lack of school administration reports
on  the  lessons  of  religion  and  religious  education,  and  information  about
religious education and upbringing process among young people in churches.
Authorities  obliged  churches  structures  to  register  “catechetical  points”  –
churches or other buildings that were used for religious communities, training
and education, and on the other hand, carried out various obstacles in order that
such  a  “catechetical  points”  were  not  registered.  Representatives  of  civil
authorities  had  to  register  those  bodies  and  to  engage  and  monitor  their

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program.  In  practice,  basically,  they  were  instructors  or  senior  government
representatives PULP (Polish United Labor Party).
The political changes occurring in Poland in 1989 created opportunities
for the younger generation free religious knowledge getting and the principles
of Christian education learning with the other school subjects.
The  question  of  catechetical  study  at  school  is  a  matter  of  political
parties‟  and  representatives‟  of  churches,  parents‟,  community‟s  debate
nowadays.  Some  left-wing  organizations  in  Poland  support  the  return  of
catechesis only to  churches, there are those that offer to resume practice that
acted  at the time of the PNR (Polish National Republic).
The  cathehisis  study  in  schools  occurred  intermittently  throughout  the
period  of  the  Polish  National  Republic,  through  the  pressure  of  Polish
Episcopate  and  supporters  on  the  official  authorities.  The  decision  of  the
Second  Vatican  Council  and  demand  of  Pope  John  Paul  II  had  particular
importance for the development of catechesis in the state. The author defined
stages of catechesis and its contents.
Key  words:  catechesis,    Polish  National  Republic,  Second  Vatican
Council, religion at school, “catechetical points,” Pope John Paul II.

Dissertation File

Autosummary File