The President of the Republic of Poland, Andrzej Duda, awarded the Knight’s Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta to Fr. prof. Józef Naumowicz „for outstanding merits in scientific research and teaching”.
Fr. prof. dr hab. Józef Naumowicz is an outstanding patrolologist, a recognized researcher of ancient history, especially the history of early Christianity and late antiquity, as well as the history of Byzantium and ancient Armenia. He is the head of the ancient history department at the Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University, and a lecturer at the Pontifical Faculty of Theology in Warsaw.
Recently, four of his books have gained the greatest resonance in the scientific and media world: „The Genesis of the Christian Count of Years” (Warsaw 2000), „The True Beginnings of Christmas” (Warsaw 2014), „The History of the Christmas Tree” (Krakow 2016), „Filokalia – texts on the Jesus prayer” (Kraków 2014; the book went through several editions and many reprints).
Currently, he is implementing three scientific projects for which he obtained grants under the National Program for the Development of Humanities of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, e.g. project entitled „Byzantine iconoclasm – a dispute over the concept of a religious image. The main source texts” (5 volumes, published in the new Byzantine Library series).
An expression of recognition for his research achievements is his appointment to scientific bodies or important functions in these bodies: he was elected president of the Commission of Polish Patrologists (2001-2007), vice-chairman of the Byzantine Commission of the Polish Academy of Sciences (for two terms 2007-2014), member of the Committee on Ancient Culture of the Polish Academy of Sciences (currently the second term); member of the Historical Sciences Committee of the Polish Academy of Sciences (2012-2014).
He manages two series of translations from ancient languages (The Library of the Church Fathers, the Byzantine Library), is a member of the editorial board of other scientific series and a member of Polish and foreign scientific organizations.
He also has significant teaching achievements as a reliable and competent lecturer. He promoted 17 doctors and 62 masters. He was a reviewer of 37 doctoral, 14 habilitation and 15 professor’s theses.
He received decorations and awards for scientific achievements: Medal of the National Education Commission, Gold Cross of Merit, award of the Minister of Science and Higher Education, award of the Association of Catholic Publishers FENIKS.
As a bi-ritualist, he celebrates the liturgy in the Roman Catholic and Armenian Catholic rites, since 2016 he has been the pastor of the Armenian Catholic central parish of St. st. Grzegorz from Narek in Warsaw, and from 2018 also the administrator of the Armenian Catholic southern parish of pw. st. Gregory the Illuminator with its registered office in Gliwice. In 2017, he was honored with the dignity of „jayragujn vardapeta” (proto-archimandrite) by the Armenian Catholic Ordinary of Eastern Europe, Archbishop Rafael Minassian.
19 sierpnia 2020
