Michał Czajkowski

Michał Czajkowski (3 October 1934 – 15 February 2025) was a Polish Roman Catholic priest, professor of theological sciences, and specialist in New Testament biblical studies. He was an ecumenist, former co-chair of the , and a member of the from 2000 to 2006. Czajkowski was also an unofficial collaborator with the Security Service of the Polish People's Republic during two periods: briefly in 1956 and from 1960 to 1984. He was the only Polish Catholic priest to publicly admit to collaborating with the Security Service.

Biography Michał Czajkowski was born on 3 October 1934 in Chełmża, Poland, into a large family, the son of Teofil, a railway worker, and Maria. He began primary school in Sierpc and completed it in Świdwin. He passed his secondary school exams in Gorzów Wielkopolski.

Czajkowski began his theological studies in 1953 at the . He also studied at the John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, the Pontifical Biblical Institute and the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas in Rome (1960–1964), and the École Biblique in Jerusalem (1964–1966).

Czajkowski reported on the proceedings of the Second Vatican Council for the Polish weekly Tygodnik Powszechny. He founded the St. Martin Community in Wrocław.

Czajkowski reviewed numerous professorial promotions and habilitation dissertations at institutions including Academy of Catholic Theology, the Pontifical University of John Paul II in Kraków, the Christian Theological Academy in Warsaw, and John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin. He supervised many doctoral candidates, reviewed dozens of doctoral dissertations, and oversaw approximately 100 master's and licentiate theses, reviewing a similar number.

From 1984 to 2006, he served as the ecclesiastical assistant for the monthly magazine and was a contributor to Tygodnik Powszechny. He resumed writing for Tygodnik Powszechny in March 2009. His articles also appeared in the quarterly .

Biblical scholar and ecumenist Czajkowski was primarily a biblical scholar, focusing on the Synoptic Gospels and the Book of Revelation. His research also explored the role of the Bible in pastoral work and new biblical methodologies. His 1993 book, Egzystencjalna lektura Biblii (Existential Reading of the Bible), was a pioneering work globally, explaining the need for an existential approach to biblical interpretation. He noted that late 19th-century historical-critical methods often overlooked the Bible's existential value, a perspective highlighted by Rudolf Bultmann, from whom Czajkowski drew inspiration while developing his own unique method. In his Liturgical Agendas (1994–1996), he commented on biblical texts, reconstructing their Sitz im Leben. His book I Ty zrozumiesz Pismo Święte (And You Will Understand the Holy Scriptures) received numerous positive reviews, arguing that biblical reading requires a foundational knowledge base. He was a translator for the , a private ecumenical initiative aimed at encouraging churches to produce an official ecumenical translation. He organised four ecumenical symposia at the Academy of Catholic Theology and co-organised others with the Christian Theological Academy and the John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin. He argued that the difference between Catholics and Protestants lies in Catholics believing what the church teaches about Christ, while Protestants adhere solely to biblical teachings.

Czajkowski was deeply engaged in Christian-Jewish dialogue, rooted in biblical foundations. He wrote about the irresistibility of the Old Covenant and the Jewishness of Christ, working to overcome stereotypes in Polish society. He viewed antisemitism as a denial of Christianity and an attack on Christ himself. In 2018, he received the Father Stanisław Musiał Award for his contributions to Christian-Jewish dialogue.

Collaboration with Polish People's Republic security services Czajkowski's first contact with the security apparatus occurred during his studies at the . On 28 June 1956, in Poznań, shortly after the Poznań protests, he observed events while wearing a cassock.

From October to December 1960, Security Service officer Mieczysław Mrozowicz met with Czajkowski eight times, extracting information and written profiles on dozens of priests. While some information was neutral, Czajkowski also reported on tensions among clergy, excessive card-playing, alcohol use, and other weaknesses. This was supported by , who noted that Pietruszka considered Czajkowski one of the Security Service's most valuable clerical agents. A special report by Więź editors, based on Institute of National Remembrance documents, interviews with Czajkowski, and others he allegedly informed on, was published alongside Czajkowski's statement. He admitted to some accusations but denied many details in his file:

In 2007, Witkowski revealed that materials from another collaborator, "Ignacy", were included in Czajkowski's file. In 2009, Czajkowski reiterated that he never informed on Popiełuszko, Kominek, Kuroń, or Lipski.

A Więź research team, including Andrzej Friszke, Anna Karoń-Ostrowska, , and Tomasz Wiścicki, confirmed that Czajkowski was coerced into collaboration through blackmail in 1956 and 1960.

After the disclosure, Czajkowski withdrew from public life. In 2017, noted that Czajkowski was the only priest to admit to Security Service collaboration and apologise. He received no awards for 12 years until the 2018 Father Stanisław Musiał Award, which reignited attacks against him. Key works include:

Słowo blisko ciebie: wędrowało po Biblii i biblistyce (Warsaw, 1983) Apokalipsa jako księga profetycznego orędzia napomnienia, pokrzepienia i nadziei (Wrocław, 1987) Lud Przymierza (Warsaw, 1992) Egzystencjalna lektura Biblii (Lublin, 1993) Agenda Liturgiczna Maryi Niepokalanej (1995–1997) Z komentarzami biblijnymi na każdy dzień roku. Rok C (Wrocław, 1994) Z komentarzami biblijnymi na każdy dzień roku. Rok A (Wrocław, 1995) Z komentarzami biblijnymi na każdy dzień roku. Rok B (Wrocław, 1997) I ty zrozumiesz Pismo Święte. Pierwsze wtajemniczenie w Biblię (Warsaw, 1996) Galilejskie spory Jezusa. Struktura kerygmatyczna Mk 2.1–3.6 (Warsaw, 1997) W drodze do Jerozolimy (Warsaw, 1996) Co nas łączy? ABC relacji chrześcijańsko-żydowskich (Warsaw, 2003) Żydzi i chrześcijanie. Wspólne dziedzictwo wiary (Toruń, 2004)

Awards and honours Czajkowski received numerous accolades, including:

Two Christian and two Jewish ecumenical awards Minister of National Education Award Rector's awards Special Recognition Diploma from the Wrocław Enthusiasts Society Tęczowy Laur for combating minority discrimination Knight's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta (2004) Medal "Meritorious for Tolerance" (2001) Interfaith Gold Medallion "Peace through Dialogue" (ICCJ) Father Stanisław Musiał Award (2018) Honorary Citizen of Świdwin, conferred on 6 May 1996