Zdzisław Król
Zdzisław Król | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 8, 1935 Zdziebórz, Poland |
| Died | April 10, 2010 (aged 74) Near Smolensk, Poland |
| Occupation | Roman Catholic priest |
| Known for | Chancellor of the Warsaw Metropolitan Curia, pastor of All Saints parish in Warsaw, involvement in beatification of Jerzy Popiełuszko |
Zdzisław Król (born 8 May 1935 in Zdziebórz – died 10 April 2010) was a Roman Catholic priest from Poland.
He was the son of Bolesław Piotr Król and Marianna, née Turek, and had two siblings, Stanisław and Jan.[1] During World War II, his family provided refuge to two Jewish brothers, one of whom tragically lost his life.[1] In November 1944, Król’s father was deported to Siberia by Soviet forces and returned in 1946.[2] Beginning in 1953, Zdzisław Król pursued philosophical and theological education at the Metropolitan Seminary in Warsaw, completing his studies in 1958 and receiving ordination as a priest.[3] Two years later, he enrolled at the Faculty of Canon Law at the Catholic University of Lublin.[3] He earned his Doctor of Laws degree in 1966.[4]
Starting in 1967, Król engaged in pastoral duties within Warsaw parishes and served at the chancellery of the Warsaw archdiocese. By 1979, he was appointed chancellor of the Warsaw Metropolitan Curia.[5] He oversaw the funeral arrangements for Primate Stefan Wyszyński and contributed to the committee responsible for erecting his monument in Warsaw.[6] During the period of martial law, Król was officially involved in managing cases concerning priests who were monitored or detained by government authorities.[7] Following the assassination of Father Jerzy Popiełuszko, he took charge of organizing the burial and addressed matters related to the trial of those responsible for the murder.[8] Throughout the 1990s, Król actively participated in the beatification process of Popiełuszko, which culminated in the priest’s beatification on June 6, 2010—just two months after Król’s own passing near Smolensk.[9]
In the 1980s, Król developed a close association with Father Stefan Niedzielak, who served as pastor at St. Charles Borromeo parish in Powązki.[10] After Niedzielak’s murder in 1989, Król succeeded him as parish pastor.[10] He also assumed Niedzielak’s role as chaplain for the Warsaw Katyn Families and took responsibility for maintaining the Sanctuary for the Fallen and Murdered in the East. Additionally, he persistently sought to uncover those truly responsible for Niedzielak’s death.[11]
Król resigned from his position as chancellor of the Warsaw Metropolitan Curia in 1992 and became pastor of All Saints parish in Warsaw. He dedicated efforts to commemorating priests who rescued Jews during World War II, notably Father Marceli Godlewski, who led All Saints parish during the occupation.[12] Furthermore, he maintained remembrance activities honoring clergy killed under communist repression. In June 1990, he was appointed to serve on the Council for the Protection of Struggle and Martyrdom Sites, a role he held until 2004.[13] On March 18, 1993, he received the title of apostolic protonotary.[14] Later, in August 2003, Król was named chairman of the newly established Council for the Foundation responsible for constructing the Temple of Divine Providence in Wilanów, Warsaw.[15] This position remained his sole official duty following retirement in 2006.[15]
Zdzisław Król died on April 10, 2010, in the 2010 Polish Air Force Tu-154 crash near Smolensk.[16] Posthumously, he was awarded the Order of Polonia Restituta.[17]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Mandziuk 2022, p. 160.
- ↑ Mandziuk 2022, p. 160-161.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Mandziuk 2022, p. 162.
- ↑ Mandziuk 2022, p. 163.
- ↑ Mandziuk 2022, p. 168.
- ↑ Mandziuk 2022, p. 169.
- ↑ Mandziuk 2022, p. 169-170.
- ↑ Mandziuk 2022, p. 170.
- ↑ Mandziuk 2022, p. 170-171.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Mandziuk 2022, p. 164.
- ↑ Mandziuk 2022, p. 164-165.
- ↑ Mandziuk 2022, p. 166-167.
- ↑ Mandziuk 2022, p. 171.
- ↑ Mandziuk 2022, p. 167.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Mandziuk 2022, p. 172.
- ↑ "Lista pasażerów i załogi samolotu TU-154". Archived from the original on 2017-08-05. Retrieved 2016-12-01.
- ↑ M.P. 2010 nr 40 poz. 587
Bibliography
- Mandziuk, Józef (2022). "Ksiądz infułat Zdzisław Król – wybitna postać Kościoła warszawskiego" [Mitered prelate, reverend Zdzisław Król – a prominent figure of the Warsaw Church]. Seminare. Poszukiwania Naukowe. 43 (1): 159–175. doi:10.21852/sem.2022.1.10. Archived from the original on 2024-02-07. Retrieved 2024-02-07.