The organization and functioning of the Orthodox ministry in the Polish Army in the West in the years 1941-1943 Cover Image

Organizacja i funkcjonowanie duszpasterstwa wyznania prawosławnego w Wojsku Polskim na Zachodzie w latach 1941-1943
The organization and functioning of the Orthodox ministry in the Polish Army in the West in the years 1941-1943

Author(s): Joanna Gabriela Pyczel
Subject(s): Christian Theology and Religion, History, Military history, Recent History (1900 till today), Theology and Religion, WW II and following years (1940 - 1949), Eastern Orthodoxy
Published by: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu w Białymstoku
Keywords: Bishop; Orthodox Christianity; Polish Army; Biskup; prawosławie; Wojsko Polskie

Summary/Abstract: In 1940, the British side granted formal consent for the establishment of the Polish Armed Forces on its territory. At the operational level, they were to be subordinated to the command of the British Army. Among the Polish troops stationed in the British Isles at the time were soldiers of the Orthodox faith. They represented an ethnic mosaic. The followers of the Orthodox Church serving in the army and navy included Poles, Belarusians, Ukrainians, Ruthenians and Russians. In the beginning providing Orthodox soldiers with permanent pastoral care posed a problem mainly due to the lack of a chaplain of that denomination. This continued until the beginning of 1941. At that time, the head of the Orthodox military ministry was established for the branches of the Polish Army in Great Britain. The intention of the text was to present the process of creating a pastoral ministry, the activities undertaken by the clergy and the difficulties that they had to overcome in their service.

  • Issue Year: 2021
  • Issue No: 23
  • Page Range: 69-75
  • Page Count: 7
  • Language: Polish