Marek Jędraszewski

The Most Reverend
Marek Jędraszewski
Archbishop of Kraków
Church Roman Catholic Church
Archdiocese Kraków
Metropolis Kraków
See Kraków
Appointed 8 December 2016
Installed 28 January 2017
Predecessor Stanisław Dziwisz
Other posts Vice-President of the Polish Episcopal Conference (2014–)
Orders
Ordination 24 May 1973
by Antoni Baraniak
Consecration 29 June 1997
by Juliusz Paetz
Rank Archbishop
Personal details
Birth name Marek Jędraszewski
Born (1949-07-24) 24 July 1949
Poznań, Polish People's Republic
Previous post
Alma mater
Motto Scire Christum ("To know Christ")
Coat of arms

Marek Jędraszewski (born 24 July 1949) is a Polish Roman Catholic prelate who now serves as the current Archbishop of Kraków since his appointment on 8 December 2016.[1] He served before this as the Archbishop of Łódź. He is also the current Vice-President of the Polish Episcopal Conference and has held that position since 2014.[2]

The archbishop is known for being an orthodox defender of the faith but one who is charismatic and manages to interact with the faithful as an adequate evangelist. He is also known for being open to ecumenism efforts and dialogue. His selection for the Kraków archdiocese was perceived as a surprise in some quarters.[3]

Life

Marek Jędraszewski was born in Poznań.

Jędraszewski earned his high school diploma in 1967 and straight after underwent his ecclesial studies until 1973 in Poznań. He received his ordination to the priesthood from Bishop Antoni Baraniak in mid-1973. Baraniak sent him for philosophical studies at the Pontifical Gregorian in 1975 where he earned a doctorate.[1][2] In 1974 he earned a bachelor's degree in his theological studies in Poznań and from 1973 to 1975 served as a parochial vicar at Saint Martin's parish in Odalnów. He received his bachelor's degree in his philosophical studies later in 1977. On 20 December 1979 he defended his doctoral dissertation and Pope John Paul II awarded it a gold medal.[2]

From 1980 until 1996 he served in Poznań as an assistant professor and served as the prefect of seminarians from 1980 until 1987. From 1987 until 1996 he served as the editor (chief editor since 1990) of the "Catholic Guide" paper while in 1996 he did his habilitation degree in Kraków on Jean-Paul Sartre and Emmanuel Levinas.[2] In 1996 he was made an associate professor in Poznań and was also made a visiting professor to the Pontifical Lateran.

John Paul II appointed him as the Auxiliary Bishop of Poznań on 17 May 1997 (as well as a titular bishop) and he received his episcopal consecration on 29 June 1997 from Juliusz Paetz. Pope Benedict XVI appointed Jędraszewski as the newest Archbishop of Łódź – on 11 July 2012 – and he was enthroned in his new episcopal see on the following 8 September. Pope Francis later appointed him as the new Archbishop of Kraków to succeed Cardinal Stanisław Dziwisz and he was installed in his new archdiocese on 28 January 2017. He invited people after his installation Mass to lunch at the episcopal palace and had a catering group feed 1700 people.[3]

He attended the ad limina visit of bishops to Pope Francis on 1 February 2014. Francis appointed Jędraszewski as a member of the Congregation for Catholic Education on 30 November 2013.

In 2013 he launched an initiative called "Dialogues in the Cathedral" that became extremely popular. People could send the archbishop an email asking about an aspect of the faith and he would answer once a month at open meetings in the cathedral.[3]

Views

Jędraszewski is viewed as a conservative who is open to dialogue and is charismatic with the faithful.

IVF treatments

When Poland's government began to subsidize in vitro treatments he said that IVF was an assault on the dignities of all people and suggested that infertile couples should resort to adoption rather than something that would go above the creative power.[3]

Abortion

Jędraszewski opposes abortion in all circumstances and advocates "the legal protection of human life from conception to natural death".

Gender ideology

The archbishop is a strong opponent of gender ideology referring to it as the "direct path to the self-destruction of our civilization". He was speaking at an adolescent catechesis in Pabianice about the importance of accepting one's own gender when he called upon people to oppose misanthropic egalitarianism which he lamented has "become fashionable in recent years". Jędraszewski called gender ideology an "extremely dangerous ideology that leads directly to the death of our civilization".[4]

Halloween

In 2013 the archbishop urged the faithful not to take part in the celebrations of Halloween "even in playful form". He dubbed it an "anti-Christian festival" and urged both parents and teachers to protect children "against its images of terror and dread" that were the opposite of the Christian message. He issued a pastoral letter dedicated to this and said that introducing people to Halloween "is a violation of Church teaching" while urging them to observe All Saints Day and All Souls Day.[5]

Relationship with Pope John Paul II

Jędraszewski was a close friend of Pope John Paul II and the two became friends in 1975 when Jędraszewski was residing at the Polish College in Rome as he studied at the Pontifical Gregorian college. The then-Cardinal Karol Józef Wojtyła resided at the Polish College when in Rome and demonstrated a keen interest in the students and their studies. But Wojtyla was also fond of philosophy, and found Jędraszewski's studies interesting. The two often discussed various topics together. The pair kept personal correspondence with each other when Wojtyla became pope in 1978, and this increased when Jędraszewski became a bishop.[6]

References

  1. 1 2 "Pope Francis names new archbishop of Krakow, Poland". Catholic News Agency. 8 December 2016. Retrieved 10 August 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Archbishop Marek Jedraszewski – the new Archbishop of Krakow". John Paul II Foundation. Retrieved 10 August 2017.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "A Surprising Choice for Krakow". The Catholic World Report. 30 January 2017. Retrieved 10 August 2017.
  4. ↑ "Archbishop Criticizes Gener Ideology: "Direct Path to Self-Destruction"". Eponymous Flower. 20 November 2013. Retrieved 28 August 2017.
  5. ↑ "Halloween violates Church teaching, says Polish archbishop". Catholic Herald. 31 October 2013. Retrieved 28 August 2017.
  6. ↑ "Krakow's New Archbishop Shares Special Memories of St. John Paul II, Divine Mercy". National Catholic Register. 1 February 2017. Retrieved 28 August 2017.
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