Zygmunt Zimowski
Encyclopedia
Zygmunt Zimowski is a Polish
prelate
of the Roman Catholic Church
. He is the current president of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Health Care Workers
since his appointment by Pope Benedict XVI
on 18 April 2009. He previously served as bishop
of Radom
from 2002 until his appointment in the Roman Curia
.
Zimowski was born in Kupienin, Poland, located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tarnów
, Poland. He was ordained a priest on 27 May 1973, and incardinated in Tarnów. He received a Licentiate in Dogmatic Theology
from the Catholic University of Lublin. He continued his studies and subsequently received his Doctorate in Dogmatic Theology from the Faculty of Theology at the Leopold-Franzens University of Innsbruck. On 1 February 1983 he entered the service of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
, where he remained until elevated to the episcopate. He was appointed Chaplain of His Holiness
on 14 April 1988 and Prelate of Honour
on 10 July 1999.
He was Postulator of some processes of beatification and canonization. He taught ecclesiology at the Catholic University of Lublin and at the Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski University in Warsaw
and is the author of 120 publications, 40 pastoral letters and some books and several articles.
He participated in the preparation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church
and worked with the Polish section of Radio Vatican.
On 28 March 2002, Monsignor Zimowki was appointed Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Radom, and was ordained in the Cathedral of Radom on 25 May 2002 by the Cardinal Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger
, later Pope Benedict XVI. In the Polish Bishops' Conference, he held the following positions: President of the Episcopal Commission for the Doctrine of the Faith, Member of the Permanent Council, Delegate for the Pastoral Care of Migrants Poles, Member of the Ecumenical Commission and the Group for Contacts with the Polish Ecumenical Council, Member of the group of Bishops for the Pastoral Care for Radio Maria, and Member of the Polish Society of Mariology.
He remained as Bishop of Radom until his appointment as the President of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Health Care Workers
in 2009. He was at the same time raised to the dignity of Titular Archbishop. In addition to his native Polish, Archbishop Zimowski speaks Italian, German, English, French and Russian.
In January 2011 Archbishop Zimowski said that "Leprosy, in fact, after the upgrading of effective pharmacological therapies, witnessed a notable reduction of the lethal infection, but continues to cause suffering, diminution and social exclusion. Flourishing around it are ignorance, inequality and discrimination that, in turn, fuel its diffusion". He noted that from a statistical point of view, the countries that are most affected are in Asia, South America and Africa. India has the greatest number of affected people, followed by Brazil. Numerous cases are recorded also in Angola, Bangladesh, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Indonesia, Madagascar, Mozambique, Nepal and Tanzania. He said that "Hansen's disease is an 'ancient' illness, but, because of this, no less devastating physically and also morally," Archbishop Zimowski reflected. "In all ages and civilizations, the fate of the leprosy sufferer is marginalization, being deprived of any type of social life, condemned to seeing his body disintegrate until death comes."
On 4 May 2011, Pope Benedict appointed him a member of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints
. The five year term will be renewed until his 80th birthday.
On Wednesday, May 18, 2011, according to an online story by Cindy Wooden of Catholic News Service
(<>), Archbishop Zimowski gave a speech to the annual assembly of the World Health Organization
in Geneva, Switzerland, saying "global solidarity is needed so that every country can guarantee all of its citizens have access to health care...Archbishop Zimowski called on the international community to increase funding to the world's poorest countries so they could step up prevention and treatment programs...".
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
prelate
Prelate
A prelate is a high-ranking member of the clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin prælatus, the past participle of præferre, which means "carry before", "be set above or over" or "prefer"; hence, a prelate is one set over others.-Related...
of the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
. He is the current president of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Health Care Workers
Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Health Care Workers
The Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Health Care Workers was set up by the Motu Proprio Dolentium Hominum of 11 February 1985, by Pope John Paul II who reformed the Pontifical Commission for the Pastoral Assistance to Health Care Workers into its present form in 1988. It is part of the...
since his appointment by Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
on 18 April 2009. He previously served as bishop
Bishop (Catholic Church)
In the Catholic Church, a bishop is an ordained minister who holds the fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders and is responsible for teaching the Catholic faith and ruling the Church....
of Radom
Radom
Radom is a city in central Poland with 223,397 inhabitants . It is located on the Mleczna River in the Masovian Voivodeship , having previously been the capital of Radom Voivodeship ; 100 km south of Poland's capital, Warsaw.It is home to the biennial Radom Air Show, the largest and...
from 2002 until his appointment in the Roman Curia
Roman Curia
The Roman Curia is the administrative apparatus of the Holy See and the central governing body of the entire Catholic Church, together with the Pope...
.
Zimowski was born in Kupienin, Poland, located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tarnów
Roman Catholic Diocese of Tarnów
The Diocese of Tarnów is a Roman Catholic diocese in Poland. According to Church statistics, it is the most religious diocese in Poland, with 72.5% weekly Mass attendance. -External links:* *...
, Poland. He was ordained a priest on 27 May 1973, and incardinated in Tarnów. He received a Licentiate in Dogmatic Theology
Dogmatic theology
Dogmatic theology is that part of theology dealing with the theoretical truths of faith concerning God and his works, especially the official theology recognized by an organized Church body, such as the Roman Catholic Church, Dutch Reformed Church, etc...
from the Catholic University of Lublin. He continued his studies and subsequently received his Doctorate in Dogmatic Theology from the Faculty of Theology at the Leopold-Franzens University of Innsbruck. On 1 February 1983 he entered the service of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith , previously known as the Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Roman and Universal Inquisition , and after 1904 called the Supreme...
, where he remained until elevated to the episcopate. He was appointed Chaplain of His Holiness
Monsignor
Monsignor, pl. monsignori, is the form of address for those members of the clergy of the Catholic Church holding certain ecclesiastical honorific titles. Monsignor is the apocopic form of the Italian monsignore, from the French mon seigneur, meaning "my lord"...
on 14 April 1988 and Prelate of Honour
Monsignor
Monsignor, pl. monsignori, is the form of address for those members of the clergy of the Catholic Church holding certain ecclesiastical honorific titles. Monsignor is the apocopic form of the Italian monsignore, from the French mon seigneur, meaning "my lord"...
on 10 July 1999.
He was Postulator of some processes of beatification and canonization. He taught ecclesiology at the Catholic University of Lublin and at the Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski University in Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
and is the author of 120 publications, 40 pastoral letters and some books and several articles.
He participated in the preparation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church
Catechism of the Catholic Church
The Catechism of the Catholic Church is the official text of the teachings of the Catholic Church. A provisional, "reference text" was issued by Pope John Paul II on October 11, 1992 — "the thirtieth anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council" — with his apostolic...
and worked with the Polish section of Radio Vatican.
On 28 March 2002, Monsignor Zimowki was appointed Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Radom, and was ordained in the Cathedral of Radom on 25 May 2002 by the Cardinal Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
, later Pope Benedict XVI. In the Polish Bishops' Conference, he held the following positions: President of the Episcopal Commission for the Doctrine of the Faith, Member of the Permanent Council, Delegate for the Pastoral Care of Migrants Poles, Member of the Ecumenical Commission and the Group for Contacts with the Polish Ecumenical Council, Member of the group of Bishops for the Pastoral Care for Radio Maria, and Member of the Polish Society of Mariology.
He remained as Bishop of Radom until his appointment as the President of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Health Care Workers
Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Health Care Workers
The Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Health Care Workers was set up by the Motu Proprio Dolentium Hominum of 11 February 1985, by Pope John Paul II who reformed the Pontifical Commission for the Pastoral Assistance to Health Care Workers into its present form in 1988. It is part of the...
in 2009. He was at the same time raised to the dignity of Titular Archbishop. In addition to his native Polish, Archbishop Zimowski speaks Italian, German, English, French and Russian.
In January 2011 Archbishop Zimowski said that "Leprosy, in fact, after the upgrading of effective pharmacological therapies, witnessed a notable reduction of the lethal infection, but continues to cause suffering, diminution and social exclusion. Flourishing around it are ignorance, inequality and discrimination that, in turn, fuel its diffusion". He noted that from a statistical point of view, the countries that are most affected are in Asia, South America and Africa. India has the greatest number of affected people, followed by Brazil. Numerous cases are recorded also in Angola, Bangladesh, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Indonesia, Madagascar, Mozambique, Nepal and Tanzania. He said that "Hansen's disease is an 'ancient' illness, but, because of this, no less devastating physically and also morally," Archbishop Zimowski reflected. "In all ages and civilizations, the fate of the leprosy sufferer is marginalization, being deprived of any type of social life, condemned to seeing his body disintegrate until death comes."
On 4 May 2011, Pope Benedict appointed him a member of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints
Congregation for the Causes of Saints
The Congregation for the Causes of Saints is the congregation of the Roman Curia which oversees the complex process that leads to the canonization of saints, passing through the steps of a declaration of "heroic virtues" and beatification...
. The five year term will be renewed until his 80th birthday.
On Wednesday, May 18, 2011, according to an online story by Cindy Wooden of Catholic News Service
Catholic News Service
Catholic News Service is an American news agency covering the Roman Catholic Church. CNS was established in 1920 and is a leading source of news for Catholic print and broadcast media throughout the world....
(<
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health. Established on 7 April 1948, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the agency inherited the mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health...
in Geneva, Switzerland, saying "global solidarity is needed so that every country can guarantee all of its citizens have access to health care...Archbishop Zimowski called on the international community to increase funding to the world's poorest countries so they could step up prevention and treatment programs...".