Konrad Krajewski facts for kids
Quick facts for kids His Eminence Konrad Krajewski |
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| Cardinal Almoner of His Holiness |
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Krajewski in 2020
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| Church | Roman Catholic Church |
| Appointed | 3 August 2013 |
| Predecessor | Guido Pozzo |
| Other posts | Cardinal-Deacon of Santa Maria Immacolata all'Esquilino (2018–) |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | 11 June 1988 |
| Consecration | 17 September 2013 by Giuseppe Bertello |
| Created Cardinal | 28 June 2018 |
| Rank | Cardinal-Deacon |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 25 November 1963 Łódź, Poland |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Previous post | Titular Archbishop of Beneventum (2013–18) |
| Alma mater |
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| Motto | Misericordia (Mercy) |
| Signature |  |
| Coat of arms | .svg) |
| Styles of Konrad Krajewski |
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| Spoken style | Your Eminence |
| Informal style | Cardinal |
Konrad Krajewski (born 25 November 1963) is a Polish Cardinal in the Catholic Church. He is known for his work helping the poor and needy on behalf of Pope Francis. Since 2013, he has been the Papal Almoner, which means he is in charge of the Pope's charity work.
Before this important job, he was a Papal Master of Ceremonies from 1998 to 2013, helping to organize major church events. In 2018, Pope Francis made him a cardinal, one of the highest positions in the Catholic Church. His official motto is Misericordia, which is Latin for "Mercy."
Contents
Early Life and Path to Priesthood
Konrad Krajewski was born in Łódź, a city in central Poland, on November 25, 1963. His parents were teachers. As a young man, his friends and teachers said he was a hard-working and honest student who wanted to become a teacher like his parents.
He became involved in a spiritual group called the Light-Life Movement. This experience, along with his local priest, inspired him to become a priest himself. In 1982, he entered a special school called a seminary to begin his training. He earned a degree in theology and was officially made a priest on June 11, 1988.
After becoming a priest, he went to Rome in 1990 to continue his studies. He earned advanced degrees in liturgy (the study of public worship) and theology. While in Rome, he also started helping out at the Vatican office that plans the Pope's religious ceremonies.
Working at the Vatican
In 1998, Krajewski moved back to Rome to work full-time in the Office of Liturgical Celebrations. A year later, Pope John Paul II appointed him as a Papal Master of Ceremonies. In this role, he helped plan all the major public events led by the Pope. This included big celebrations like Christmas and Easter Masses, as well as ceremonies for making new saints.
The Pope's Charity Worker
What is a Papal Almoner?
On August 3, 2013, Pope Francis gave Krajewski a new and very special job: Papal Almoner. An almoner is a person who gives out charity to the poor. As the Papal Almoner, Krajewski is in charge of performing acts of kindness and charity in the Pope's name.
Pope Francis told him to not just sit at a desk and wait for people to ask for help. Instead, he told him, "You need to get out of the Vatican. ... You need to go out and look for the poor."
The money for this charity work comes from selling special parchments that celebrate a papal blessing for events like weddings or baptisms. All the money raised goes directly to help people in need.
Helping People Directly
Krajewski took the Pope's words to heart. He has been seen visiting homes for the elderly and giving money to those who need it. After a boat of migrants sank near the island of Lampedusa, he spent four days there, praying with rescue divers as they recovered the bodies.
In 2015, he helped open a 30-bed shelter for homeless people near the Vatican. He said the goal was to "give people their dignity." When Pope Francis made him a cardinal in 2018, Krajewski invited 280 poor and homeless people to a special dinner to celebrate with him.
Humanitarian Missions
Cardinal Krajewski is famous for his hands-on approach to charity. He often visits homeless people in Rome, giving them food, clothes, and sleeping bags. He also helped open clinics near the Vatican to give better healthcare to people who can't afford it.
Bold Acts of Kindness
In May 2019, Krajewski did something that got a lot of attention. A building in Rome where 450 people, including 100 children, were living had its electricity turned off. After five days without power, Krajewski went to the building, climbed down into a manhole, and turned the power back on himself. When criticized by a politician, he said he would pay the building's electricity bills from then on.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, he helped a group of people who had lost their jobs and couldn't afford food. He said he was surprised that this act of charity received so much attention, as he felt it was just a normal part of the Church's work.
Envoy to Ukraine
In March 2022, after Russia invaded Ukraine, Pope Francis sent Cardinal Krajewski as his special representative to the country. This was a very unusual and important mission. He traveled to Ukraine several times, often into dangerous areas.
He personally delivered ambulances, generators, and food to people affected by the war. He even drove one of the ambulances all the way from the Vatican to Ukraine. While there, he visited mass graves to pay his respects to those who had died, showing the Pope's closeness to the suffering people.
A New Role for Charity
In June 2022, Pope Francis reorganized the Vatican government. He turned the Office of the Papal Almoner into a major new department called the Dicastery for the Service of Charity. A dicastery is one of the main administrative departments of the Vatican.
Cardinal Krajewski became the head, or Prefect, of this new department. This change showed how important charity and helping the poor are to Pope Francis. Krajewski continues his work as the Papal Almoner while leading this important new office.
See also
In Spanish: Konrad Krajewski para niños
- Cardinals created by Francis
