Humanizm heroiczny św. o. Maksymiliana
The Heroic Humanism of St. Maximilian

Summary/Abstract: No humanism compares to that of the Church teaching on the dignity of the human person. The list of rights which a person deserves just taken from supernatural perspective is very impressive. A Christian loses nothing from their humanity in its fullness. Christianity is not another utopia, but a reality which develops and elevates the person. Heroic humanism can be spoken of in Poland since the XVI century. This term is evident in the poetic literary works of Mikołaj Sępa Szarzyńskiego (1550 - 1581). The mediator of heroic humanism also was Albert Camus, though laical humanism. Dżuma is the perfect literary example expressing heroic humanism. There is shown a new type of heroic humanism of a person in a concrete life situation in danger of failure and tragedy which together with success adds for a real human existence. Every person should have the awareness of their own death as an essential ingredient of their existence. In this article, the life of St Maximilian is given as an example of heroic humanisn in its Christian form. Kolbian humanism was not born in its heroic form during the last month of his life. Its beginning should be found in the childhood of Raymund. Heroism is distinctly united to self offering and not to self suffering. The most heroic act of Fr Kolbe was something permanent. It was his total consecration to the Immaculate. His work was never for pure satisfaction but for the Immaculate for the good of souls. The last dimension of heroic humanism of Fr Kolbe was his martyrdom. Good always wins, honor is stronger than dishonor, and the ancient rule of „an eye for an eye” lost in Auschwitz camp. The act of the Fransican was not one of despair. It was an affirmation, a heroic act of love in the face of hatred. It seems that the effects of humanistic conquests are not everlasting, and the worth of human dignity decreases. The laical humanistic outlook of today is far from accepting the heroism of defending human lives and dignity. Eugenics, euthanasia, and abortion are not just temptations for the human race but often practiced in many countries. Modern humanism has become antihuman. One must unfortunately agree with the author, that: „ Human vision degenerated from heroic humanism, without love and empathy is not fantasy but is a reality before our very eyes. Always more often, not the hero like Fr Kolbe or Joanna Beretta Molla, but an average person must partake in the confrontation between good and evil”.

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