18-19 November, Wrocław: Celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Letter of Reconciliation of the Polish Bishops to the German Bishops
The main celebrations of the 60th anniversary of the Letter of Reconciliation of the Polish Bishops to the German Bishops will take place on 18 and 19 November in Wrocław. They will be attended by members of the Polish and German episcopates, the Apostolic Nuncio to Poland and representatives of the authorities of both countries concerned by the Letter of reconciliation.
https://episkopat.pl/doc/237624.18-19-listopada-Obchody-60-rocznicy-oredzia-biskupow-polskich
https://episkopat.pl/doc/237631.18-19-November-Breslau-Feierlichkeiten-zum-60-Jahrestag-des
https://episkopat.pl/doc/237643.18-19-novembre-Breslavia-Celebrazioni-per-il-60-anniversario
In 1965, Polish bishops sent a Letter to German bishops that changed the history of Europe. The document, written by the then Archbishop of Wrocław, Bolesław Kominek, contained words that went down in history: “We forgive and ask for forgiveness.”
Sixty years after the document was issued, Polish and German bishops – led by the presidents of both episcopates – will take part in solemn celebrations commemorating the Letter of Reconciliation and crowning the Year of Reconciliation celebrated in Wrocław.
“We intend not only to commemorate this important and even visionary step taken by Polish bishops, this gesture of reaching out to their German brothers in the episcopate. After 60 years, in Wrocław, we want to say together to our nations, to Europe and to the world, how important reconciliation based on truth, dialogue and forgiveness is,” says Archbishop Józef Kupny, Metropolitan of Wrocław, Deputy President of the Polish Bishops’ Conference and host of the celebrations.
The celebrations will begin on 18 November at 11 a.m. at the monument to Cardinal Bolesław Kominek . They will then move to the Wrocław Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, where Holy Mass will be celebrated at 12:30 p.m. with the participation of Polish and German bishops.
Part of the celebration is the opening of the permanent exhibition “Reconciliation for Europe” at the Archdiocesan Museum at 16 Cathedral Square in Wrocław, which will be open to the public from 4 p.m. on 18 November.
At 5 p.m., an ecumenical prayer with songs from Taizé will begin at the Church of Our Lady on the Sand (ul. św. Jadwigi 1 in Wrocław), with the participation of Christians of various denominations. The day will culminate with an evening concert entitled “Wrocław for Reconciliation” at the National Forum of Music, dedicated to the history of Polish-German relations as reflected in the history of Wrocław.
On the second day, 19 November, an international academic conference will be held at the Pontifical Faculty of Theology entitled “The 60th Anniversary of the Letter of Polish Bishops to German Bishops” with the participation of Prof. Norman Davies, among others.
The celebrations are co-organised by the Memory and Future Centre (Centrum Historii Zajezdnia). For years, it has been promoting the history of the Letter of Reconciliation and the visionary attitude of the Archbishop of Wrocław Bolesław Kominek, who proposed a new perspective on Polish-German relations.
“The Letter became a turning point, marking the beginning of the process of reconciliation between the Polish and German nations after World War II. To this day, it continues to inspire efforts aimed at healing the trauma caused by international conflicts,” says Dr Andrzej Jerie, director of the History Centre Zajezdnia and the Wrocław mayor’s representative for the celebrations of the Year of Reconciliation.
Media representatives are invited to cover the celebrations of the 60th anniversary of the Letter of Reconciliation of the Polish Bishops to the German Bishops. Special media accreditation will be required for some of the events on 18 November. The accreditation process will begin on 7 November and last until 16 November.
Archdiocese of Wrocław/ BP KEP
