The paper examines the relationship between law and rationality from multiple perspectives. As early as the Middle Ages, the canonist Gratian attempted to reconcile conflicting legal provisions using rational criteria in his monumental work. The humanist legal theorist Hugo Grotius referred to the ancient codifications of Roman law issued by Emperor Justinian as “written reason.” Grotius also identified “the dictate of right reason” within natural law. Civil law codifications of the 19th and 20th centuries, beginning with the Napoleonic Code, drew upon both Roman and natural law, aspiring once again to perfect rationality. The Catholic Church joined this endeavor by organizing canonical material into the first Code of Canon Law, promulgated in 1917. The ecclesiastical legislator further adopted Justinian’s division of matters into persons, things, and actions. The current Code of Canon Law also operates with rationality, exemplified by its requirement that a custom must be “reasonable.” What contravenes natural law is deemed irrational, for example the ecclesiastical legislator establishes the impediment of consanguinity as a norm of natural divine law. As an example of irrational law, the article highlights the Slovak legislator’s requirement that a petition for the recognition of a new church or religious society by the state must be accompanied by more than 50,000 signatures. It is evident that no unregistered religious society could meet this requirement, nor could the majority of churches already recognized by the state.

The concept of God’s law is rooted in theology and canon law. However, the content expressed by this concept is very extensive. In addition, this concept is replaced by many others indicating the proper content for them. Therefore, the usefulness of the concept of divine law remains questionable. The author of the study expresses the opinion that the concept of law and the reality expressed by it are not adequate to properly grasp the meaning of the concept of God’s law. The consideration of law in God’s law should be carried out in the symbiosis of faith and reason, the acceptance of God’s will and its expression in the appropriate way of realizing the ecclesiastical form of the Christian religion.

The article reflects on the situation of the man’s desire for knowledge, drawing on Pope John Paul II’s encyclical Fides et Ratio which stresses the importance of the union of faith and reason in search of truth. The Latin term situatio (literally to place) refers to the totality of circumstances, conditions and relationships in which the man comes to know himself, the world and God. The text warns of the risk of the Gnostic temptation which lies in denying the existential and cognitive limits of the man. This attitude leads to the loss of perception of the cosmic inner harmony, the rejection of critical attitudes, and the emergence of absurd constructions with negative consequences. At the same time, the article points to the importance of metaphysics and the need for openness to the transcendent truth that the Christian faith reliably conveys. It encourages intellectual dialogue between faith and philosophy in academic and personal life.

There is no conclusive and universally valid answer to the question whether reason is an accidental result of mindless evolution, or whether the world is the creation of reason while human intellect is its essence derives from the Divine Creative Reason. Every thinking person should choose the proper concept. Such a choice entails serious consequences since it decisively affects the interpretation of human facts and generates an overall attitude towards reality. The article presents some consequences concerning both choices and particularly focuses on the characteristics of the life environment seen from the perspective of a rational and believing person. The author presents his understanding of faith, based on the texts by Martin Buber, Josef Pieper, Józef Tischner and Stanisław Wszołek, and models the optimal form of the relationship between faith and reason. He elaborates on the idea that a Christian’s faith is Man’s response to being chosen by God. Everything essential in faith begins with interpersonal experiences. A person who lives in the environment of faith, hope and love will more easily discover that God is close to him. As a result, he will become a credible witness to the Gospel truth in his society.

The encyclical Fides et Ratio is a continually inspiring document in which John Paul II sought to answer the question of the relationship between faith and reason, and thus between theology and philosophy. It follows the tradition of the Church, but at the same time reflects the post-Conciliar view of the autonomy of the empirical sciences and the humanities. The present study deals with philosophy which John Paul II calls “Christian philosophy.” The concept of metaphysics, which has influenced Christian philosophy, is crucial here. Despite a lot of criticism concerning metaphysics since the modern period, John Paul II defends the metaphysical position as an integral part of the Christian philosopher’s thinking. His understanding of metaphysics will be discussed in the following study.

The purpose of this paper is to reflect critically on the model of theology as a rationalisation of religious faith (the revealed truth), and on different models of theology as the commited knowledge (sapiential) and hermeneutics. The first of these models is insufficient because it is dominated by a rationalistic concept of theology at the expense of its more existential and experiential nature. The paper consists of three parts. The first part presents a model of theology as a rationalisation of the revealed truth (the philosophical critique of revelation, the historical-doctrinal investigation of truths of faith, the explanation and systematisation of the content of revelation by philosophical categories, and the a priori system of knowledge). The second part focuses on the model of theology as commited and the wisdom knowledge (a commitment in the recognition of specific truths of faith and a religious way of life, a commitment in the experience of mystery and prayerful contemplation, a commitment in the realization of life’s meaning and the transformation of the world). The third part presents a model of theology as hermeneutics, i.e. the art of reading and interpreting various components of reality (problems of human existence, historical events and religious texts).

Review of the one-volume synthesis of Prudence Allen on gender complementarity

Exploring the ethical implications of new modes of communication in the context of the theology of Benedict XVI and the official documents of the Catholic Church, this article offers insightful reflections on how digital technologies and modern media affect human dignity, authentic communication, and the dissemination of truth. During his pontificate, Benedict XVI paid particular attention to this theme, which is evident in his official documents and speeches. Benedict XVI brought a theological dimension to the debate on new media, emphasizing the connection between truth, love and authentic communication. His theology and the official documents of the Catholic Church remind us that technologies and new forms of communication are moral tools that must be used responsibly, with respect for human dignity and with the aim of spreading the truth and building a more just society.

Referring to the encyclical of John Paul II Fides et ratio, the article addresses the problem of truth in its legal dimension. That is, what is truth for law? What truth does law serve? In other words, does truth that law aims at correspond to the real and natural order of things, i.e. is it possible to reach the absolute truth by means of speculations and legal constructs? On the contrary, even the most existential experiences, such as ‘life’ and ‘death’, will not agree with the truth as a result of certain legal actions, creating a different nature and reality. The analysis carried out showed that law uses a specific category of truth, i.e. a formal and procedural truth which does not necessarily correspond to the absolute truth about which Pope John Paul II writes in his encyclical. If this specific, formal and procedural legal truth is subordinated to the implementation of the guiding principle of achieving the absolute truth, then such a situation should not raise concern. It will be worse if law starts to deviate from the pursuit of absolute truth, succumbing only to some ad hoc, pragmatic criteria based on erroneous beliefs that everything should be subordinated to technology and the will of the majority because fundamental standards common to all people do not exist or cannot be indicated.

This article is a tribute to and a concise presentation of the scholarly, didactic, and social-organizational activity of Professor Elżbieta Szczot (1965–2024), a long-time staff member of the Faculty of Law, Canon Law and Administration at the John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin. She was an outstanding expert in the field of law, especially canon law, as well as a respected teacher and mentor to many generations of students. The text highlights the key areas of her research interests – from the law of the holy sacraments and the protection of marriage and the family, to issues related to European integration and the specific policies of the European Union. In her pursuit of academic truth, Professor Szczot harmonized faith and reason, remaining until the end a hardworking and humble person. Despite her illness, she did not cease her scientific activity. She passed away on March 10, 2024, in Warsaw, after a long and serious illness.

A review of a valuable monograph describing the question of deacon, priest and bishop ordinations granted without the consent of the totalitarian communist power clandestinely in Czechoslovakia and other countries under the influence of the Soviet Union, as well as in some other countries (Austria, Federal Republic of Germany). On the basis of a detailed analysis of canon law regarding the sacrament of ordination and a description of the situation of the Catholic Church in Czechoslovakia in the period 1948-1989, it presents and comments on the extraordinary faculties for the situation of non-freedom and the manner of their implementation. In the last chapter he describes the difficult and still unfinished solution of the involvement of secretly ordained clerics in public ministry.

Krzysztof Wielecki, Kultura versus kultura masowa, 662 pp.

Warszawa: Narodowe Cenrum Kultury, 2024