PFOENIXES 2012
ANDRZEJ TARWID
Fr. Inf. Irenenusz Skubiś, a chief editor of the Catholic weekly 'Sunday' became the first laureate of the Little Special Phoenix. The awards in a few dozen categories were given during the XVIII Fairs of Catholic Editors in Warsaw
This year nearly 40 authors, editorial houses and publications received the awards of the Association of Catholic Editors and 59 editors were competing about the victory who had submitted over 240 titles.
Appreciated personalities
A Special Little Phoenix has been given to Fr. Inf. Ireneusz Skubiś for the first time in the history of awards. The Jury honoured the Chief Editor of the Catholic weekly 'Sunday' for 'the whole contribution in the media work, including the promotion of good, valuable books in media'. Phoenix is a beautiful bird called bird of paradise, which wakes up to a new life. Taking the reward on behalf of the Chief Editor, his deputy, Lidia Dudkiewicz showed, apart from the picture of phoenix, rising from ashes, a picture of the Catholic weekly 'Sunday' which, after its renewal in 1981, was being reborn to a new life, coming out from the students' 'Cellar' in Częstochowa, where priest Skubiś was creating the first editorial team. It gave a beginning to a great multi-media institution, which is taking up a program of new evangelisation in the Church with the usage of modern electronic means today. In the group of prize-winners of the Little Special Phoenix were also: priest Witold Józef Kowalów from Łuck Diocese in Ukraine - the chief editor of the bi-monthly 'Call from Wołyń' and Miriam Arbter-Korczyńska - an editor of the Radio 'An angel of the Beskidy mountains' from Bielsko-Żywiec diocese and Ewa Holubowicz from the Informative Radio Agency. Priest Professor PhD Józef Kudasiewicz received the main award of the Gold Phoenix of 2012 for 'a brave testimony of his priestly life in the times of visible corrosion of religious sensitivity'. The diamond Phoenix of 2012 was awarded to the pioneer of scholarly experiments in history and theory of literature and the issue of sacrum in literature - professor PhD Stefan Sawicki. - It is 'an example of an academic teacher and promoter of the Polish literature who is open to its humanistic and Christian dimension' - it was written in the justification.
The association also gave Special Phoenixes. The prize-winners were: Polish Academic Publishing House for the publication of 'The literature of Polish Middle Age. Lexicon' by Prof. Teresa Michałowska and the Polish Association of Thomas from Aquinas - for 'Encyclopaedia of Polish Philosophy' under the edition of Priest Andrzej Maryniarczyk. The Special Phoenix for an author was awarded to a priest poet Bishop Józef Zawitkowski from Łowicz, who was awarded for 'a fervent spirit of faith and love impressively expressed in rich words, towards which we cannot pass indifferently'. In the category of ecclesiastical teachings, the award of Phoenix was given to priest Marek Starowieyski for his book 'Biblical traditions. Bible in the culture of the world'. In the category of religious publicism, the reward was given to Archbishop Jozef Michalik for 'A report about the state of the faith in Poland'. The solemn gala of giving Phoenixes took place in the basilica of Jesus' Heart in Warsaw during the ending of the second day of the Fairs of Catholic Publishers. The ceremony was enriched by a concert entitled 'To God in Glory and for people towards joy' performed by Białołęcka Orchestra Romantica and soloists from the Theatre of Great Opera in Warsaw.
Time of new evangelisation
This year's meeting of editors with readers in the Arcades of Kubicki in the Royal Castle in Warsaw took place on 20-22 April under the motto 'The Church - our home. The year 2012 - the year of new evangelisation'. - We must uncover the Evangelical truths anew - explained priest Roman Szpakowski SDB, the chairman of the Administration of Catholic Editors Association - Reflection and opinions in various styles of the word help us in it.
During the fairs, 140 editors presented their offers. The special guest of Warsaw Fairs was Library Pomeranian and Vatican Publishing House- Libreria Editrice Vaticana. Thousands of people, who visited the Arcades of Kubicki last weekend, could purchase books at promotion prices but they could also meet with their authors or take part in many panels. And, for example, the Edition of St. Paul organised a discussion entitled 'Catechism YOUCAT as a tool of new evangelisation among the youth'. And during the meeting carried out by the Edition of Benedictines from Tyniec, there were discussions about what the faith has to suggest to: marriage, business and media. There was a meeting of readers with the authors of popular books, among the others: Agnieszka Grzelak, Fr. Leon Knabit OSB or a well-known demonologist - Fr. Aleksander Posacki. There were also journalists writing books - Grzegorz Górny, Wojciech Cejrowski. The M edition organised a meeting with Jan Pospieszalski and Joanna KrzyŻanek was signing her books about Blessed John Paul II on a stall of the Diocesan Edition of Sandomierz.
The papal topics are still present in the offer of many publications. However, it is not as popular as any more as in the previous years. In the recent time, on the market of religious books there have appeared a lot of titles concerning eschatological and Mary's topics with the emphasis on Medjugorie as it was evaluated by Kinga Polak-Gieron in the conversation with the Catholic weekly 'Sunday', who has been connected with the market of Catholic books for years. A new tendency are also publications of patriotic-historical-religious character. The AA Publication has sold the first whole circulation of the book about borderlands nearly at once - he added.
Development in crisis
During the fairs, specialists were also discussing the future of books. Two panels were devoted to the perspectives connected with e-books. Might these modern methods of printing books really threaten the traditional paper books? - It has been discussed for 5 years but it still seems the matter of the future - said Kinga Polak-Gieron; whereas priest Roman Szpakowski SDB did not deny that multimedia editions may help paper books. - I know cases that somebody who first listened to an audio-book, later bought a traditional book - the chairman of the Association of Catholic Publishers said to the Catholic weekly 'Sunday'. - The economic crisis and raising the VAT tax influenced the action of publishers. However, we can say that the market of Catholic books is still developing - he added. And this development was visible during XVIII Fairs of Catholic Publishers.
(AA)
"Niedziela" 18/2012