The Second Vatican Council. Polish History

Author: Michał Białkowski

The Second Vatican Council-a fundamental event in the twentieth-century history of Christendom-revealed what a complex organism the Church is. This conclusion applies both to the deliberations themselves and to the reforms initiated, which - carried out by national episcopates at different speeds and in different ways - were and are constantly confronted with changing realities.

In the face of these incidents, it is worth raising fundamental questions about the "Polish story" of Vatican II. To date, we cannot boast of a comprehensive monograph on this issue-not only taking into account the current state of knowledge, but also based on first-rate Church archival materials, especially those from the rich legacy of Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński and the then Bishop ( and from 1964 Archbishop) of Cracow Karol Wojtyła.

(Excerpt from the introduction by Dr. hab. Michał Białkowski, Prof. of the University of Cracow)