Center for the Promotion of Education and Culture according to Pope John Paul II.

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The center is located at 11 Foksal Street in Warsaw

The Center for the Promotion of Education and Culture according to Pope John Paul II is a municipal institution in Warsaw, which deals with the analysis , documentation and dissemination of the ideas of Pope John Paul II . The focus is on working with adolescents and young adults. It would also like to be a meeting place for everyone who would like to be inspired by his pontificate . The center started its work on April 1, 2006.

history

Although the chances for the center were very slim at the beginning, the idea could be realized as an initiative of the former mayor of the city Lech Kaczyński on the first day of the Pope's death, April 2, 2006, with a solemn opening ceremony. An old building in the heart of Warsaw, at 11 Foksal Street, serves as the headquarters . Piotr Dardziński was initially in charge of management . In 2008 he received a special award for his management and the implementation of the goals of the center. The management is now in the hands of Norbert Szczepański (Director) and Michał Łuczewski (Deputy Director).

Fields of activity

The center operates in the following areas:

Facilities

Research institute

The research institute was established in 2012 as part of the center. It examines the spiritual legacy of the Pope and deals with current topics in philosophy, theology, social and legal science. The subject of the analyzes is not only texts by John Paul II. Everything that he considered to be essential for reflecting on people, their dignity and the world in which they live is also taken into account. The institute carries out analytical projects, including a. sociological research, organizes international conferences, discussion seminars and directs the Karol Wojtyła Fellowship program for undergraduate and graduate students. The institute pays special attention to the theology of the body according to Pope John Paul II and personalism , a philosophical line of thought in which people are characterized by the ability to freely decide and to be responsible for their actions in a special way and in which this as Basic principle of human existence is considered.

Institute library

The library has a collection of books that is exclusively dedicated to the person and teaching of the Pope and documents the course of his pontificate. More than 6575 registered copies, including 5768 reference books, magazines, journals and foreign language books belong to their inventory. It is also equipped with a media library that audiovisually documents the life and work of the Pope with 750 CDs and DVDs. These currently include 369 interviews with contemporary witnesses who testify to his life before and during his tenure and 500 hours of recordings from people who met him personally in their lives.

Meeting place "First Floor" (1Piętro)

The first floor in the center aims to be a meeting place for people who want to get actively involved in society and its current challenges. Here creative initiatives are supported and plans are implemented. The first floor is also a place of encounter and dialogue, where a well-founded culture of conversation is cultivated, based on mutual respect and interest in one's neighbor, in order to better understand the problems of the present. The first floor opened in 2012 with a series of weekly debates on cultural issues, metapolitics , spirituality and media. The opening celebrations were rounded off with a choir concert by the center choir and a performance by the duo "Paula i Karol".

Online TV "Foksal Eleven"

Foksal-Eleven is a varied project that includes an internet portal, an online TV station, an interactive production facility and a media school. The television program is supported by the voluntary work of volunteers. Programs on the subjects of culture, metapolitics, education , science and sociology are broadcast.

City of Warsaw scholarships named after John Paul II

In 2005, for the first time, 512 scholarships ranging from 200 to 1500 zł were awarded to the most talented applicants from different schools. The criteria are social commitment, above-average performance in school and the applicant's financial situation. In the years between 2005 and 2011, a total of 4755 scholarships were awarded.

Choir of the Center

The centre's choir was formerly named “Chór Pokolenia JPII” (JPII Generation Choir) as a spontaneous initiative of young adults during Holy Mass on Piłsudski Square on April 3, 2005 in memory of John Paul II, who died the day before . established. They formed a group who wanted to express their innermost feelings and thoughts by singing songs in honor of the Pope. What began as a spontaneous initiative has since developed into a recognized force in Warsaw's musical life. Today the choir consists of around 60 singers who share the joy of making music together at the highest level.

The musical highlights of the past few years have included highly acclaimed performances in the Warsaw National Philharmonic , the Concert Hall of the Palace of Culture, in the Warsaw Royal Castle , in the Presidential Palace and radio productions in the Polish Radio Concert Studio. In addition, numerous world premieres of cantatas for choir and orchestra as well as choral works are part of their program. The center choir received first place at the renowned XI. Lodz Choir Festival “Cantio Lodziensis” in the “Club Choirs” category. On August 29, 2009 the choir accompanied Andrea Bocelli at one of his concerts in Poland.

Events

The center is responsible for organizing a number of public events .

Celebrations to mark the day of death on April 2nd

On April 2nd of each year the center holds celebrations, each time with a different theme. The motivation lies in the memory of the Pope and his teaching, which is to be disseminated. There are conferences, outdoor exhibitions, theater performances, social events and prayer evenings. Mottos from previous years: April 2, 2007: Stop, dying has a purpose. April 2nd, 2008: Life is forever. April 2nd, 2009: Love will explain everything to you. April 2, 2010: I am with you. April 2, 2011: Bridges. Every little is a big one. April 2, 2012: Labyrinth. Make the right decision. April 2, 2013: Wojtyła 3D. You have a soul

Festiwal Gorzkie Żale

In the Catholic Church in Poland, “Gorzkie Żale” is the name of a special form of devotion during Lent , which heralds the Passion of Christ. "Gorzkie Żale" has also been the name of a festival since 2008 that combines various artistic forms of expression such as theater , literature , film and music . In recent years, the themes of fasting , death , hell and resurrection have been taken up and implemented artistically. In 2010 the main topic was “All about Dante” (konteksty dantejskie), 2013 “Myths about Goethe’s Faust” (with fausta) and “Topics about Armenia” (tematyka armieńska).

Charity "City of Mercy" (Miasto Miłosierdzia)

In June 2008 the center held a charitable event called “City of Mercy” (Miasto Miłosierdzia) on the occasion of the 29th anniversary of the Pope's sermon on Piłsudski Square in Warsaw during his first pilgrimage home in 1979. Numerous aid organizations , Foundations and associations had the opportunity to present their activities on Theaterplatz. Concerts took place, presentations from the various organizations started and you could take part in a short training course. This was followed by an evening of prayer, chaired by the Archbishop of Warsaw and Cardinal Kazimierz Nycz. In the following years the action was repeated. In May 2010 it took place on the promenade in Kraków's suburbs. The March of Life (Marsz dla Życia i Rodziny) also culminated during the charity drive. In 2012, Piłsudski Square became the location of the events, which were initiated under the motto “I help because I can” (Pomogę, bo mogę) with week-long social debates on the topic. There were also well-known Polish singers and bands, such as B. Antek Smykiewicz (the Voice of Poland), Ściana Wschodnia, Hotrot and Najlepszy Przekaz w Mieście.

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