Tygodnik Powszechny
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Tygodnik Powszechny (translates as ‘Universal Weekly’), appearing since 1945, is a Roman Catholic weekly magazine, which raises socially-cultural issues. It was set up by Cardinal Priest Adam Stefan Sapieha. Its chief editor is Father Adam Boniecki.
- Frequency – weekly magazine
- Country – Poland
- Editor – Tygodnik Powszechny sp. z o.o.
- Type of periodical – Roman Catholic socially-cultural weekly magazine
- First edition – 24 March 1945
- Chief editor – Father Adam Boniecki
- Average edition – 42 thousand copies
- Size – A3
- Number of pages – 16
- ISSN – 0041-4808
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[edit] History
The first edition of Tygodnik Powszechny appeared on 24 March 1945. At the beginning, editorial staff consisted of four people: a priest Jan Piwowarczyk, Jerzy Turowicz (a chief editor 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 in 1948), Stanisław Stomma, Hanna Malewska and Józefa Golmont – Hennelowa. In 1953 the newspaper was closed because of refusal of printing Stalin’s obituary. The issue was resumed in December 1956. From 1953 to 1956 Tygodnik Paxowski appeared instead of Tygodnik Powszechny. It was published under the same vignette and kept the continuity of numbering; however, it was not edited by the legitimate owners. When Tygodnik Powszechny came back in possession of editors from Wiślna in 1956, those who published on the columns were among others Karol Wojtyła, Władysław Bartoszewski, Jerzy Zawieyski, Jacek Woźniakowski, Stefan Wilkanowicz, Leszek Kołakowski, Stanisław Lem, Zbigniew Herbert, Tadeusz Kudliński, Czesław Zgorzelski. The magazine was then considered to be the one and independent voice of high-class society. Parliamentary Party "Znak" is related to the environment of the magazine. Later, “Znak” cooperated with KOR and helped to establish the Solidarity Movement (one of the major writers of Cracow’s magazine, the priest Józef Tischner became its chaplain). Since the election of cardinal Karol Wojtyła for the head of the Church in Vatican Tygodnik Powszechny became the most popular relay of John Paul II’s sermons (teachings) in Poland. For a long time it was the only magazine which made an interview with Pope (3 August 1980). Later, only the Italian magazine "Il tempo" obtained this honor. Czesław Miłosz published his poems in Tygodnik Powszechny for many years. In 1945 he prepared for Jerzy Turowicz a hand-written volume of poems called “Wiersze pół-perskie”. It was the only magazine in which Miłosz published his poems after receiving the Nobel Prize. After declaring martial law, the magazine suspended its publication for several months. Since 1982, Tygodnik Powszechny appeared continuously. In the eighties of the 20th century, the magazine became an informal tool of Polish democratic opposition and sometimes was regarded as the only legal oppositional magazine in the People’s Republic of Poland (PRL). In 1987, a controversial essay called “The Poor Poles Look at the ghetto” (“Biedni Polacy patrzą na getto”) by Jan Błoński was published in its columns.
Since the nineties, a part of church hierarchy was reluctant to Tygodnik Powszechny and criticized too liberal, in their opinion, shape of the magazine (it reflects almost absent parochial distribution of the magazine).
In 1998, Maria Zmarz-Koczanowicz produced a movie 'Ordinary Kindness' (Zwyczajna dobroć), telling the story of Jerzy Turowicz.
In 1999, after Jerzy Turowicz’s death, a priest Adam Boniecki became the chief editor of Tygodnik Powszechny.
In April 2007, 49 per cent of shares in the magazine were taken over by ITI Group. Since 5 December 2007 Tygodnik Powszechny is published in smaller size. The layout and the editorial staff of the magazine was also changed.
[edit] Values
Tygodnik Powszechny tries to reconcile the values of liberalism with the principles of faith. It presents open ecumenical current of Polish Catholicism. Its aim is a dialogue, so representatives of ideas which are not strictly Catholic are often invited to take part in debates. According to the typology 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 discourse of journalism of the magazine from 1993 to 1995, wrote: “The publicists 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)
[edit] Criticism
In the time of the People’s Republic of Poland (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 [1], 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 some cases even left-wing Catholicism. Jerzy Robert Nowak, the publicist who has connections with Radio Maryja, described the alleged “betrayal of ideals” of John Paul II and the Church committed by Tygodnik Powszechny in his book Obłudnik Powszechny (2002).
[edit] Supplements
- Books in Tygodnik (Książki w Tygodniku)
- Needle’s Eye (Ucho Igielne)
- Civic Matters (Rzecz Obywatelska)
- History (Historia w Tygodniku)
- Special Supplements (Dodatki specjalne)
- New Eastern Europe (Nowa Europa Wschodnia)
- Middle Europe (Europa Środka)
- Cyberweekly (Cybertygodnik)
- EU for You (Unia dla Ciebie)
- Apocrypha (Apokryf)
- Counterpoint (Kontrapunkt)
- Parish (Parafia)
[edit] Team
- Władysław Bartoszewski (till December 2007)
- father Adam Boniecki
- Halina Bortnowska
- Józefa Hennelowa
- Krzysztof Kozłowski
- father Jan Kracik
- Marcin Król
- father Grzegorz Ryś
- Marian Stala
- Stefan Wilkanowicz
- Jacek Woźniakowski
[edit] Editorial office
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[edit] References
- ^ During tens years of friendship between John Paul II and Jerzy Turowicz, polemics about the Church were sometimes conducted. “Criticism may be needed and constructive for the Church especially when it comes from the heart” – wrote John Paul II in one of his letters directed to the chief editor of Tygodnik Powszechny. One of the most important parts of the letter sounds: “(…) The year 1989 brought Poland deep changes connected with the downfall of the communist system. Resumption of independence paradoxically coincided with an increased assault of secular left-wing parties and liberal groups directed against the Church, the Episcopate as well as against the Pope. I felt it especially in the context of my last visit to Poland in 1991. The point was to erase from the memory of citizens what was the role of the Church in the nation within the space of the last years. Accusations and slanders about clericalism were multiplying as well as those about the alleged intention of the Church to rule Poland and about hindering political emancipation in the Polish society. Forgive me, if I say that those influences were also visible in Tygodnik Powszechny. In those difficult times, unfortunately the Church did not find in it any support and defense which in a way he could have expected: “it did not feel cherished enough” – like I once said (…)”
[edit] Bibliography
Polish website: http://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tygodnik_Powszechny
[edit] External links
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