Organizational Issues of the Catholic Church – Practices and Conditions Cover Image

Z PROBLEMATYKI ORGANIZACJI KOŚCIOŁA KATOLICKIEGO – PRAKTYKA I UWARUNKOWANIA
Organizational Issues of the Catholic Church – Practices and Conditions

Author(s): Jan Walkusz
Subject(s): History
Published by: Katolicki Uniwersytet Lubelski Jana Pawła II - Wydział Teologii
Keywords: Church organization; Poland; Catholic Church

Summary/Abstract: The Church, the Mystical Body of Jesus Christ, was formed – by God’s will – into a visible organism, functioning within defined structures. It is these that give it exceptionally unique characteristics, which include, among others, the hierarchy, territorial organization and a legal system giving its activities norms to follow. The basis – which the latest research shows – of the forming since early Christianity development of Ecclesiastical structures was also in direct line consequence with universalizing the Christian religion and the monarchical and hierarchical Church structure. However, the exceptional situations of Church management forced a temporal and exceptional enterprise. Among these is included the institution of immediate bishopric, meaning bishops directly dependent on the Apostolic See. Since sometimes the situation related with Church organization was complicated, directly dependent on the political and social context and clear statism activities, this eloquently argues for the process of structural and organizational changes in the Church on Polish lands during the national captivity. Moreover, the coupling of the church and religious factors with political and social circumstances in the organization and reorganization of the structure of the Church can also be seen very clearly in the interwar period (The Vixdum Poloniae unitas Bull of 1925) and after the Second World War (Bulls: Episcoporum Poloniae coetus of 1972 and Totus Tuus Poloniae Populus of 1992).

  • Issue Year: 2013
  • Issue No: 12
  • Page Range: 7-21
  • Page Count: 15
  • Language: Polish
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