The Board of the John Paul II Vatican Foundation convened in Rome to begin its next term. The meeting took place on 26–27 August 2026. Under the chairmanship of Msgr. Paweł Ptasznik, the deliberations were attended by Cardinal Grzegorz Ryś, Cardinal Stanisław Dziwisz, and members of the leadership from the United States, France, Germany, and Poland. The Foundation adopted significant resolutions, accompanied by personnel changes.
The John Paul II Vatican Foundation is a non-profit institution of the Holy See. Established by papal decree in 1981, it has operated continuously for 45 years, making it the oldest among several Vatican foundations. The organization runs its own institutions, awards numerous scholarships, and carries out academic and cultural projects worldwide, promoting the legacy of the Polish Pope.
New Term of the Board
The Foundation is governed by the Administrative Council, which meets in Rome twice a year. Its term lasts five years. The previous meeting, held in February, concluded the former term. In March 2026, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State of the Holy See, announced that the Vatican had approved the continuation of the Board in its unchanged composition for the next term.
The leadership for 2026–2031 is as follows:
-Msgr. Paweł Ptasznik (Chairman),
-Bishop Sławomir Oder (Vice‑Chairman),
-Marek Markiewicz (Secretary),
-Fr. Michał Wilkosz (Council Member, Germany),
-Wojciech Halarewicz (Council Member, Germany),
-Bogdan Chmielewski (Council Member, USA),
-Henryk Rogowski (Council Member, France),
-Fr. Tomasz Szopa (Council Member, Poland).
According to the statutes, Cardinal Stanisław Dziwisz holds a lifelong mandate, while the higher authority of the Foundation is exercised by the Metropolitan Archbishop of Kraków, currently Cardinal Grzegorz Ryś. The August meeting was the first official session of the new term.
New Director of the John Paul II Pontificate Center in Rome
On the eve of the meeting, a change occurred at the head of the Center for Documentation and Research of the Pontificate of John Paul II, which the Foundation has operated in Rome for many years. The Board appointed Fr. Michał Grzesiak, a historian and priest of the Archdiocese of Kraków, as the new Director. He succeeds Fr. Mirosław Cichoń. During the session, the Administrative Council accepted the outgoing Director’s report and expressed gratitude for his leadership and valuable contribution to the development of the Center. Fr. Grzesiak, participating for the first time in a Board meeting, presented his vision for the Center’s development and proposed new academic projects.
Official Vatican Address of the Foundation
Thanks to the efforts of Msgr. Dariusz Giers, Director of the Administrative Secretariat, the Vatican completed the required legal procedures in August, and the Vatican notary officially confirmed the Foundation’s registered seat within the territory of the Holy See. By decision of the Board, the Foundation will now use both its Italian and Vatican addresses in official correspondence. Msgr. Giers also presented to the Council the current financial situation of the Foundation and the institution’s budget plan for 2027.
The Italian address:
Fondazione Vaticana Giovanni Paolo II
Via di Porta Angelica, 63
00193 Roma, RM, Italia
The Vatican address:
Fondazione Vaticana Giovanni Paolo II
Via del Pellegrino, s.n.c
00120 Città del Vaticano
Polish House of John Paul II in Rome
The Foundation has long operated its pilgrim house in Rome, known as the Polish House of John Paul II. Since 2023, the institution has been directed by Fr. Mateusz Wójcik, who presented renovation plans and new proposals for pilgrims from Poland and other countries. He also informed the Board about the current financial situation of the pilgrim house, which welcomes over 4,000 visitors annually. The Polish House is located at Via Cassia 1200.
New Media Infrastructure and Student Initiatives
Fr. Tomasz Podlewski, Director of Media and Events, presented his report and proposals for new projects and future activities. The Administrative Council welcomed with appreciation the recent launch of our new website, VaticanJP2, highlighting its functionality and importance for the Foundation’s mission. The introduction of online donations through the new portal was also positively received. Fr. Podlewski, responsible not only for media transformation but also for events and projects, presented new initiatives for students and donor communities. Plans for the coming year include an intellectual‑formational student camp in Rome. The Board also agreed to continue supporting several papal competitions and co‑organizing mountain camps for students in the Polish Tatra Mountains.
45th Anniversary of the Foundation and Meeting with Pope Leo XIV
The Board devoted considerable attention to the upcoming celebrations of the 45th anniversary of the Foundation, which will take place in Rome this autumn with the participation of the Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV. Fr. Tomasz Podlewski presented to the Council a detailed program for the celebrations scheduled for 19–22 October 2026, including a private audience with the Pope, joint Masses, a scientific conference, concerts, a gathering at the Polish House of John Paul II, and other events. Representatives of several dozen Friends’ Circles of the Foundation from more than a dozen countries, as well as Vatican officials, cardinals and bishops from various continents associated with the Foundation’s mission, sponsors, supporters, and numerous figures from the worlds of culture, academia, and the arts have announced their participation. The celebrations will be an opportunity to strengthen the international community of the Foundation and to reflect together on the institution’s future. The anniversary celebrations of the John Paul II Vatican Foundation in Rome are held every five years. All Popes since Saint John Paul II have taken part in them. During the 40th anniversary, the several‑hundred‑person community of the Foundation was received in the Vatican by the late Pope Francis.
Flagship Scholarship Programs
The Board also met with Fr. Jan Strzałka, Director of the student residence long operated by the Foundation in Lublin. The Administrative Council expressed its gratitude to Fr. Strzałka, who is responsible not only for the formation of scholarship recipients in the residence but also for the entire scholarship program carried out in Poland. Each year, the John Paul II Vatican Foundation awards full five‑year scholarships to several dozen students from across Europe for studies at the John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin. The scholarship program covers not only tuition, but also accommodation, meals, travel, and participation in formative and cultural events. To date, the Foundation has enabled more than 1,100 students to complete their studies in this way. The Board also decided to continue awarding scholarships for the “JP2 Studies” program — one‑year postgraduate studies offered at the Saint John Paul II Institute of Culture at the Angelicum in Rome (the Alma Mater of John Paul II and Leo XIV), supported by the Foundation since 2024. Each year, the Foundation awards scholarships to three students of the “JP2 Studies” program. The value of each scholarship is 15,000 euros. All scholarship programs of the Foundation are funded exclusively through donations from regular and one‑time sponsors.
Next Edition of the Vatican Saint John Paul II Prize
The Board also discussed the upcoming third edition of the Vatican Saint John Paul II Prize, Premio San Giovanni Paolo II. Since 2024, the Foundation has awarded the Prize to a person or institution that contributes meaningfully to transforming the world in accordance with the values promoted by the Polish Pope. The Prize is presented in the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican and is valued at 30,000 euros. The Prize was conceived and established by Fr. Andrzej Dobrzyński, who directed the Documentation and Study Center of the Pontificate of John Paul II in Rome for nearly 19 years, until October 2025. The Prize Committee is composed of distinguished representatives of the Catholic academic and cultural world and is chaired by Cardinal Kurt Koch, Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity. The laureate of the first edition was the John Paul II Center for Justice and Peace in Uganda, founded in 2007 in response to the encyclical Ecclesia in Africa. The institution combats social problems such as poverty, human rights violations, inequality, and violence against women and children. Last year’s laureate was Archbishop Jacques Mourad of Syria, kidnapped, tortured, and miraculously freed from ISIS captivity, who — inspired by the spirit of John Paul II’s interreligious meeting in Assisi — has long undertaken courageous efforts for peace between Christians and Muslims. The Committee will meet in Rome on 7 September 2026 to select the laureate of the third edition.
Holy Masses in the Vatican and Common Prayer
As is tradition, the two‑day meeting included moments of shared prayer. The first day began with a morning Eucharist in the Vatican, celebrated on 26 August, the feast of Our Lady of Częstochowa. The Mass was held in the Chapel of Our Lady of Częstochowa in the crypt of St Peter’s Basilica and was presided over by Msgr. Paweł Ptasznik, Chairman of the Foundation, who also delivered the homily. The second day began with a morning Eucharist at the tomb of Saint John Paul II in the Vatican, celebrated in Polish every Thursday. The Mass was presided over and the homily delivered by Cardinal Grzegorz Ryś. The Council also prayed the Angelus for the intention of the Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, whom Cardinal Ryś met personally on the first day of the meeting.
