For the second time, the John Paul II Days at the Pontifical Universities of Rome are underway. From April 20 to 24, 2026, Monday through Friday, three pontifical universities of the Eternal City will host lectures dedicated to the teachings and creative work of the Polish Pope. This year's initiative is held under the theme: "Solidarity and Identity in the Teaching and Creativity of Karol Wojtyła – John Paul II." The program also includes a theatrical performance and a Holy Mass in St. Peter's Basilica.
The John Paul II Days at the Pontifical Universities of Rome is a joint initiative of the Church of St. Stanislaus B&M in Rome, the John Paul II Vatican Foundation, and the Pontifical University of John Paul II in Kraków. The inaugural edition, entitled "Faith and Reason in the Thought of St. John Paul II," took place in autumn 2024. From the very beginning, the initiative has been organized in cooperation with three Roman universities: the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum), the Pontifical Gregorian University, and the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross. In addition to academic conferences at the three pontifical universities, this year's program includes a theatrical performance at the Basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere entitled "John Paul II. Roman Triptych: Meditations," directed by Prof. Jarosław Kilian, as well as the awarding of prizes in the student competition. The celebrations will conclude on Friday, April 24. The morning Eucharist at the tomb of St. John Paul II in the Vatican will be presided over by Cardinal Grzegorz Ryś, and in the evening, the closing lecture at the Church of St. Stanislaus B&M in Rome will be delivered by Archbishop Marek Jędraszewski.
The competition, part of the Roman celebrations of the John Paul II Days, is dedicated to students and doctoral candidates of all pontifical universities in the Eternal City. Participants were invited to submit an academic article related to this year's theme, written in Italian or English. The organizers received several dozen submissions, from which a committee composed of professors from the Roman pontifical universities selected the three winning papers. The competition includes the following monetary prizes, funded by the John Paul II Vatican Foundation: €2,000 for first place, €1,500 for second place, and €1,000 for third place. In addition, the authors of the six best papers will be awarded a trip to Poland following the footsteps of John Paul II in 2026, financed and organized by the Polish Church of St. Stanislaus B&M in Rome.
