Following John Paul II’s call, we will come back to the wisdom of the old master Paweł Włodkowic, a XVth-century lawyer, diplomat, rector of the University of Cracow, a participant of the Council of Constance and one of the greatest minds of the Pope’s motherland. Włodkowic’s writings will be a starting point to discuss concepts of religious freedom, just war and sovereignty of nations in a historical and contemporary context.
Włodkowic’s legal and philosophical thought stemmed from his contemporary culture, but was also in many respects groundbreaking. Together with historians and theologians we will be asking to what extent his thought was original for his times. We will then look at today’s reality through the lens of Włodkowic’s legacy remembering that problems raised by this XVth-century intellectual were crucial also in the thought of pope John Paul II.
