Auxiliary bishops of Cracow

Auxiliary bishops of Cracow

*Cardinal Franciszek Macharski, Metropolitan of Cracow*
As the first Pole Cardinal Franciszek Macharski was ordained bishop by Pope John Paul II in Rome. He is a direct successor of the Pope in the Cracow Archbishop’s See.
Cardinal Franciszek Macharski was born on May 20, 1927 in Cracow. In 1945 he entered seminary, which he graduated from on April 2, 1950, being ordained to priesthood by the then Metropolitan of Cracow, Cardinal Adam Stefan Sapieha. Until 1956 he worked as an auxiliary priest at the parish in Kozy near Bielsko-Biała, and then went to study theology in the Swiss Freiburg.
On coming back to Poland he was spiritual advisor in the Cracow Seminary and conducted lectures at the Pontifical Faculty of Theology in both his hometown and in the Częstochowa Seminary which was part of the Faculty at the time. Since 1970 he was Rector of the Cracow Seminary and it was here that he received the papal nomination to the position of the Metropolitan of Cracow.
After Cardinal Wojtyła took the highest office in the Catholic Church on October 16, 1978, the very same year he appointed the then Rector of the Seminary his successor and 77th pastor of the ancient diocese of Cracow. Ingress of the new Metropolitan into the Wawel Cathedral took place on January 28, 1979. Nearly half a year later, on June 30, 1979 Archbishop Franciszek Macharski received a cardinal’s biretta from John Paul II during the first consistory convened by the new Pope.
Cardinal Franciszek Macharski accepted as his motto the words “Jesu, in Te confido” (Jesus, I trust in You”). Cardinal Macharski is a member of three Vatican Congregations, namely the Congregation for Bishops and Clergy, the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, and the Congregation for Catholic Education (of Seminaries and Institutes of Study). He is also member of the 2nd Section of the Secretariat of State and the Permanent Council of Cardinals and Bishops. In the past he also belonged to the Secretariat for Non-believers. On May 20, 2002 Cardinal Franciszek Macharski became 75 years of age at which point, in accordance with appropriate provisions of canon law, he put himself at the Pope’s disposal. John Paul II entrusted him with the continuation of his pastoral work as Metropolitan of Cracow: “May he continue with God’s help,” wrote the Holy Father.

*Bishop Kazimierz Nycz*
He is auxiliary bishop of Cracow, chairman of the Commission of the Polish Episcopate for Catholic Education, and Vicar General of the Metropolitan of Cracow.
Kazimierz Nycz was born into a peasants’ family on February 1, 1950 in Stara Wieś near Oświęcim. He earned a doctoral degree in theology in the field of catechism teaching. He is an alumnus of the Metropolitan Higher Seminary in Cracow, and defended his doctorate at the Catholic University of Lublin. He was ordained priest on May 23, 1973 and ordained bishop on June 4, 1988 by Cardinal Franciszek Macharski. His bishop’s motto is “Ex hominibus, pro hominibus” (From the people and for the people).

*Bishop Jan Szkodoń*
He is auxiliary bishop of Cracow, Vicar General of the Metropolitan of Cracow, and titular bishop of Torreblanda, member of the Commission of the Polish Episcopate for the Clergy.
He was born into a peasants’ family on December 19, 1946 in Chyżne near Nowy Targ. He is an alumnus of the Metropolitan Higher Seminary in Cracow. He has a doctoral degree in pastoral theology, obtained in 1977 at the Catholic University of Lublin.
He was ordained priest by Cardinal Karol Wojtyła on March 22, 1970 and ordained bishop by Cardinal Franciszek Macharski on June 4, 1988. His bishop’s motto is „Dominus, ipse faciet” (Lord Himself will act – Psalm 37).

*Bishop – senior StanisŁaw Smoleński*
He was born on May 17, 1915 in Vienna, into an intelligentsia family. He is a doctor of theology. He graduated from the Faculty of Theology of the Jagiellonian University and also studied at the Angelicum University in Rome.
He was ordained priest on June 24, 1937 and ordained bishop by Cardinal Karol Wojtyła on April 5, 1970. His bishop’s motto is “Caritas Christi urget nos” (2 Cor 5, 14) “The Love of Christ impels us.”

*Bishop – senior Albin MaŁysiak*
He was born on June 12, 1917 in Kocyń near Żywiec, in a merchant’s family. He is a doctor of theology. He studied at the Vincentian Institute of Theology in Cracow and obtained master’s and doctoral degrees in theology and continued his education in the field of moral theology at the Faculty of Theology of the Jagiellonian University. In 1936 he took perpetual vows in the Congrregation of the Mission of St. Vincent de Paulo. He was ordained to priesthood on May 1, 1941 and ordained bishop on April 5, 1970 by Cardinal Karol Wojtyła. His bishop’s motto are the words „Ave Maria.”