Tygodnik Powszechny
Encyclopedia
Tygodnik Powszechny is a Polish Roman Catholic weekly magazine
, focusing on social and cultural issues. Established in 1945 under the auspices of Cardinal Adam Stefan Sapieha
, Jerzy Turowicz
was its editor-in-chief until his death in 1999. He was succeeded by priest Adam Boniecki.
(editorin-chief for many years), Konstanty Turowski and Maria Czapska. Later they were joined by Zofia Starowieyska–Morstinowa, Stefan Kisielewski
, Leopold Tyrmand
, Antoni Gołubiew, Paweł Jasienica (until he was arrested by the Communists in 1948), Stanisław Stomma, Hanna Malewska and Józefa Golmont–Hennelowa.
In 1953, the newspaper was closed after it refused to print Stalin’s obituary. The paper resumed publication in December 1956. From 1953 to 1956, it was published by the pro-government PAX Association
and informally known as Tygodnik Paxowski. The same format was used and the continuity of numbering, although none of the previous editors were involved.
The original editors were able to resume control of Tygodnik Powszechny after the "Thaw"
of 1956. Columnists included Karol Wojtyła (to become Pope John Paul II), Władysław Bartoszewski, Jerzy Zawieyski
, Jacek Woźniakowski, Stefan Wilkanowicz, Leszek Kołakowski, Stanisław Lem, Zbigniew Herbert
, Tadeusz Kudliński, Czesław Zgorzelski. It was affiliated with the officially recognized political party Znak, which was also allowed to form in the wake of the Thaw.
When Znak helped establish the Solidarity movement, one of the Cracow's edition writers, Father Józef Tischner
became its chaplain). After Karol Wojtyła was elected pope, Tygodnik Powszechny became the most popular vehicle for John Paul II’s teachings in Poland. For a long time it was the only magazine in the world which was able to publish an interview with the new Pope (3 August 1980).
Czesław Miłosz published his poems in Tygodnik Powszechny for many years. In 1945, he prepared a hand-written volume of poems called “Wiersze pół-perskie” for Jerzy Turowicz. It was the only magazine in which Miłosz published his poems after receiving the Nobel Prize
. After martial law
was declared, the magazine suspended its publication for several months. Since 1982, Tygodnik Powszechny has been published continuously.
In the 1980s, the magazine became an informal tool of the Polish democratic
opposition and sometimes was regarded as the only legal oppositional magazine in the People’s Republic of Poland (PRL). In 1987, it published a controversial essay, “The Poor Poles Look at the ghetto” (“Biedni Polacy patrzą na getto”) by Jan Błoński.
Since the 1990s, a part of the church hierarchy was critical to Tygodnik Powszechny due to its, in their opinion, too liberal outlook (it reflects almost absent parochial distribution of the magazine).
In 1998, Maria Zmarz-Koczanowicz produced the movie 'Ordinary Kindness' (Zwyczajna dobroć), telling the story of editor Jerzy Turowicz.
In 1999, after Jerzy Turowicz’s death, Father Adam Boniecki became the chief editor.
In April 2007, the ITI Group
purchased 49 per cent of the magazine.
Since 5 December 2007 Tygodnik Powszechny has been published in a smaller size. The format and editorial staff was also changed.
. Its aim was a dialogue. Representatives of ideas which are not strictly Catholic are invited to take part in printed debates. According to the analysis by Jarosław Gowin, presented in the book “Church in the Times of Freedom” (“Kościół w czasach wolności”), Tygodnik Powszechny is one of the main representatives of ‘open’ Catholicism, inspired by Catholic personalism.
Sergiusz Kowalski, who was analyzing the history of the journal from 1993 to 1995, wrote: “The authors of Tygodnik Powszechny appreciate moderation, openness, readiness to dialogue and compromise” looking for “modus vivendi between liberal democracy and Church, between modernity and tradition” (Kowalski 1997: 148)
(PRL), Tygodnik Powszechny was considered as the magazine which, in some extent (determined by the censorship), could contain views critical to the communist authorities. After 1989, the magazine became the representative of one option in a dialogue within the Church, called “open Catholicism”, which caused a wave of criticism from people of other circles. After 1989, Tygodnik Powszechny was also assigned to represent only one political circle (the Democratic Union
, later transformed into the Freedom Union
) – because many people involved in the magazine participated in political changes (Józefa Hennelowa, Tadeusz Mazowiecki
, Krzysztof Kozłowski). The critics of this Cracow weekly magazine often quote the letter written by John Paul II, which they received on 15 May 1995 on the occasion of the magazine’s 50th anniversary.
Opponents of Tygodnik Powszechny accuse the magazine of deciding on liberal trend and in even left-wing Catholicism. Jerzy Robert Nowak
, the historian and publicist who has connections with the major Catholic weekly Niedziela, described the “betrayal of ideals” of John Paul II and the Church committed by Tygodnik Powszechny in his book Obłudnik Powszechny (2002) - transl. The Common Canter.
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
, focusing on social and cultural issues. Established in 1945 under the auspices of Cardinal Adam Stefan Sapieha
Adam Stefan Sapieha
Prince Adam Stefan Stanisław Bonifacy Józef Sapieha was a Polish cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church who served as Archbishop of Kraków. Between 1922–1923 he was a senator of the Second Rzeczpospolita. In 1946, Pope Pius XII created him Cardinal....
, Jerzy Turowicz
Jerzy Turowicz
Jerzy Turowicz was a leading Polish Catholic journalist and editor for much of the post-Second World War period.He edited the Catholic weekly Tygodnik Powszechny from 1945 until his death in 1999, with only a three-year interruption beginning in 1953....
was its editor-in-chief until his death in 1999. He was succeeded by priest Adam Boniecki.
History
The first edition of Tygodnik Powszechny appeared on 24 March 1945. Initially, the editorial staff consisted of four people: a priest, Jan Piwowarczyk; Jerzy TurowiczJerzy Turowicz
Jerzy Turowicz was a leading Polish Catholic journalist and editor for much of the post-Second World War period.He edited the Catholic weekly Tygodnik Powszechny from 1945 until his death in 1999, with only a three-year interruption beginning in 1953....
(editorin-chief for many years), Konstanty Turowski and Maria Czapska. Later they were joined by Zofia Starowieyska–Morstinowa, Stefan Kisielewski
Stefan Kisielewski
Stefan Kisielewski , nicknames Kisiel, Julia Hołyńska, Teodor Klon, Tomasz Staliński, was a Polish writer, publicist, composer and politician, and one of the members of Znak, one of the founders of the UPR, the polish libertarian and conservative political party.Kisielewski was born to a Polish...
, Leopold Tyrmand
Leopold Tyrmand
Leopold Tyrmand was a Polish novelist and editor. He studied architecture for a year at L'Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris before the war, and during the war was a resistance fighter in Poland, a waiter in Germany , and a prisoner in a Norwegian concentration camp...
, Antoni Gołubiew, Paweł Jasienica (until he was arrested by the Communists in 1948), Stanisław Stomma, Hanna Malewska and Józefa Golmont–Hennelowa.
In 1953, the newspaper was closed after it refused to print Stalin’s obituary. The paper resumed publication in December 1956. From 1953 to 1956, it was published by the pro-government PAX Association
PAX Association
The PAX Association was a pro-communist secular Catholic organization created in 1947 in the People's Republic of Poland. In 1953, PAX gave its support to the Stalinist show trial of the Kraków Curia, and took over the publication of the Catholic weekly magazine Tygodnik Powszechny – until the...
and informally known as Tygodnik Paxowski. The same format was used and the continuity of numbering, although none of the previous editors were involved.
The original editors were able to resume control of Tygodnik Powszechny after the "Thaw"
Polish October
Polish October, also known as October 1956, Polish thaw, or Gomułka's thaw, marked a change in the Polish internal political scene in the second half of 1956...
of 1956. Columnists included Karol Wojtyła (to become Pope John Paul II), Władysław Bartoszewski, Jerzy Zawieyski
Jerzy Zawieyski
Jerzy Zawieyski, born Henryk Nowicki, was a Polish playwright, prose writer, Catholic political activist and amateur stage actor...
, Jacek Woźniakowski, Stefan Wilkanowicz, Leszek Kołakowski, Stanisław Lem, Zbigniew Herbert
Zbigniew Herbert
Zbigniew Herbert was an influential Polish poet, essayist, drama writer, author of plays, and moralist. A member of the Polish resistance movement – Home Army during World War II, he is one of the best known and the most translated post-war Polish writers...
, Tadeusz Kudliński, Czesław Zgorzelski. It was affiliated with the officially recognized political party Znak, which was also allowed to form in the wake of the Thaw.
When Znak helped establish the Solidarity movement, one of the Cracow's edition writers, Father Józef Tischner
Józef Tischner
Józef Stanisław Tischner was an eminent Polish priest and philosopher. The first chaplain of the trade union, "Solidarity" , he was an exceptional moral authority and one of the most admired figures in Poland, both during and after the anti-communist uprising.Tischner was born in Stary Sącz to a...
became its chaplain). After Karol Wojtyła was elected pope, Tygodnik Powszechny became the most popular vehicle for John Paul II’s teachings in Poland. For a long time it was the only magazine in the world which was able to publish an interview with the new Pope (3 August 1980).
Czesław Miłosz published his poems in Tygodnik Powszechny for many years. In 1945, he prepared a hand-written volume of poems called “Wiersze pół-perskie” for Jerzy Turowicz. It was the only magazine in which Miłosz published his poems after receiving the Nobel Prize
Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prizes are annual international awards bestowed by Scandinavian committees in recognition of cultural and scientific advances. The will of the Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, established the prizes in 1895...
. After martial law
Martial law in Poland
Martial law in Poland refers to the period of time from December 13, 1981 to July 22, 1983, when the authoritarian government of the People's Republic of Poland drastically restricted normal life by introducing martial law in an attempt to crush political opposition to it. Thousands of opposition...
was declared, the magazine suspended its publication for several months. Since 1982, Tygodnik Powszechny has been published continuously.
In the 1980s, the magazine became an informal tool of the Polish democratic
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
opposition and sometimes was regarded as the only legal oppositional magazine in the People’s Republic of Poland (PRL). In 1987, it published a controversial essay, “The Poor Poles Look at the ghetto” (“Biedni Polacy patrzą na getto”) by Jan Błoński.
Since the 1990s, a part of the church hierarchy was critical to Tygodnik Powszechny due to its, in their opinion, too liberal outlook (it reflects almost absent parochial distribution of the magazine).
In 1998, Maria Zmarz-Koczanowicz produced the movie 'Ordinary Kindness' (Zwyczajna dobroć), telling the story of editor Jerzy Turowicz.
In 1999, after Jerzy Turowicz’s death, Father Adam Boniecki became the chief editor.
In April 2007, the ITI Group
ITI Group
ITI Group , known as Grupa ITI in Polish, is a large media conglomerate headquartered in Warsaw, Poland. ITI Group controls the Polish television network, TVN, among its many holdings.The ITI Group was co-founded by businessmen Jan Wejchert and Mariusz Walter in 1984...
purchased 49 per cent of the magazine.
Since 5 December 2007 Tygodnik Powszechny has been published in a smaller size. The format and editorial staff was also changed.
Values
Tygodnik Powszechny has tried to reconcile the values of liberalism with the principles of faith. It has presented an open ecumenical view of Polish CatholicismCatholicism
Catholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....
. Its aim was a dialogue. Representatives of ideas which are not strictly Catholic are invited to take part in printed debates. According to the analysis by Jarosław Gowin, presented in the book “Church in the Times of Freedom” (“Kościół w czasach wolności”), Tygodnik Powszechny is one of the main representatives of ‘open’ Catholicism, inspired by Catholic personalism.
Sergiusz Kowalski, who was analyzing the history of the journal from 1993 to 1995, wrote: “The authors of Tygodnik Powszechny appreciate moderation, openness, readiness to dialogue and compromise” looking for “modus vivendi between liberal democracy and Church, between modernity and tradition” (Kowalski 1997: 148)
Criticism
In the time of the People’s Republic of PolandPRL
PRL may refer to:* Parameter Request List, a DHCP option* Parti Réformateur Libéral, a former Belgian political party* Penn Eastern Rail Lines* Pennine Radio Limited...
(PRL), Tygodnik Powszechny was considered as the magazine which, in some extent (determined by the censorship), could contain views critical to the communist authorities. After 1989, the magazine became the representative of one option in a dialogue within the Church, called “open Catholicism”, which caused a wave of criticism from people of other circles. After 1989, Tygodnik Powszechny was also assigned to represent only one political circle (the Democratic Union
Democratic Union
The Democratic Union can be:*Croatian Democratic Union*Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina*Mongolian Democratic Union*Democratic Union *Democratic Union *Democratic Union *Democratic Union...
, later transformed into the Freedom Union
Freedom Union
Freedom Union can refer to one of the following liberal parties:*For Czech republic, see Freedom Union *For the Faroe Islands, see Freedom Union *For Poland, see Freedom Union...
) – because many people involved in the magazine participated in political changes (Józefa Hennelowa, Tadeusz Mazowiecki
Tadeusz Mazowiecki
Tadeusz Mazowiecki is a Polish author, journalist, philanthropist and Christian-democratic politician, formerly one of the leaders of the Solidarity movement, and the first non-communist prime minister in Central and Eastern Europe after World War II.-Biography:Mazowiecki comes from a Polish...
, Krzysztof Kozłowski). The critics of this Cracow weekly magazine often quote the letter written by John Paul II, which they received on 15 May 1995 on the occasion of the magazine’s 50th anniversary.
Opponents of Tygodnik Powszechny accuse the magazine of deciding on liberal trend and in even left-wing Catholicism. Jerzy Robert Nowak
Jerzy Robert Nowak
Jerzy Robert Nowak is a Polish historian, publicist, and conservative political activist.During the time of the People's Republic of Poland, he was a journalist, employee of the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and activist of the Democratic Party between 1981 and 1991.In the years 1970-1976,...
, the historian and publicist who has connections with the major Catholic weekly Niedziela, described the “betrayal of ideals” of John Paul II and the Church committed by Tygodnik Powszechny in his book Obłudnik Powszechny (2002) - transl. The Common Canter.
See also
- Controversial article about Russian secret operations in Poland
Further reading
- Michał Jagiełło, "Tygodnik Powszechny" i komunizm, Warszawa: NOWA, 1988
- Jacek Żakowski, Anatomia smaku czyli rozmowy o losach zespołu Tygodnika Powszechnego w latach 1953-1956, Warszawa: Wydawnictwo Wolne Pismo, 1988
- Jacek Żakowski, Jerzy Turowicz: Trzy ćwiartki wieku: rozmowy z Jerzym Turowiczem, Kraków: ZnakZnak (publisher)Znak is one of the largest Polish book publishing companies. Founded in 1959 and related to the Catholic Church in Poland, it has grown since 1989. It publishes about 150 titles a year, and employs about 70 people....
, 1999, ISBN 83-7006-166-4 - Jacek Żakowski: Pół wieku pod włos. Czyli życie codzienne "Tygodnika Powszechnego" w czasach heroicznych. Kraków: Znak, 1999, ISBN 83-7006-886-3