– I am glad that the Copernican Academy is expanding its spectrum of activities and, in the sphere of cooperation with theological academies, is going beyond the Roman Catholic Church,’ stressed Archbishop Prof. Jerzy Pańkowski, Rector of the Christian Academy of Theology in Warsaw, during the ceremony of signing the agreement on cooperation between ChAT and the Copernican Academy.

The signing of a cooperation agreement with the Christian Academy of Theology (ChAT) took place on 25 October at the Copernican Academy in Warsaw.

One of the first joint projects of the two research centres is to be a combined effort in organising the centenary of the granting of autocephaly to the Orthodox Church in Poland.

Cooperation between the Copernican Academy and the Christian Academy of Theology

The ceremony was attended by Archbishop Prof. Jerzy Pańkowski – Rector of the Christian Academy of Theology in Warsaw, Archbishop Abel – Orthodox Archbishop of Lublin and Chełm, Tomasz Rzymkowski – Deputy Minister and Government Plenipotentiary for the Development and Internationalisation of Education and Science, and representing the Copernican Academy, Prof. Krzysztof Górski -Secretary General of the Academy and Witold Mazurek – Director of the Copernican Academy Office.

As emphasised during the ceremony Archbishop Pankowski, cooperation between the Christian Academy of Theology and the Copernican Academy will bring many benefits to both academic centres.

– I am glad that the Copernican Academy is broadening its spectrum of activities and in the sphere of cooperation with theological academies it goes beyond the Roman Catholic Church,’ the clergyman pointed out. – This is very important because the Christian Academy of Theology, which will celebrate its 70th anniversary next year, grew out of the Department of Evangelical Theology and the Study of Orthodox Theology at the University of Warsaw and is a unique university centre that educates followers of Orthodoxy, Old Catholicism and Lutheranism. This is all the more important because it is not straightforward, with such a wide divergence of confessional differences, to maintain objectivity in the assessment of many theological issues,” explained Archbishop Pankowski.
– That is why I deeply believe that ChAT, with its achievements and reputation, will contribute a lot to this cooperation – added the rector.

The legacy of Nicolaus Copernicus

Deputy Minister present at the ceremony Tomasz Rzymkowski pointed out that the signing of the cooperation agreement shows that Polish science does not exclude anyone.
– The dominant religion in Poland is Roman Catholic, while ChAT is a university that takes an ecumenical approach to faith and the study of theology, the deputy minister of education emphasised.

– Looking from the point of view of the legacy of Nicolaus Copernicus, the Copernicus Academy is also a theological university and refers to the ecumenical approach of ChAT, which on the one hand studies the Orthodox Church, the Orthodox Church, and on the other hand the Protestant confessions, and is a recognised university, very highly rated by the MEiN,’ said Deputy Minister Rzymkowski. – It is good that Polish universities, want to cooperate with the Copernicus Academy. It is a benefit for both sides of such an agreement,’ he added.