Abstract

On 3 June 2025, the 19th Legal and Historical Colloquium entitled ‘Between the profane and the sacred – legal and historical aspects’ was held. It was organised by the Department of History of Law and Religious Law of the Institute of Legal Sciences of the University of Opole, the Doctoral School of the University of Opole, the Opole University Foundation, the Human Rights Research Club, and the Inter-Lex Research Club. The scientific directors of the symposium were Prof. Piotr Sadowski, PhD, and Prof. Andrzej Szymański, PhD, both of the University of Opole, and the secretary was Dr. Katarzyna Pluta. Several dozen speakers reflected on the relationship between the new religion and the old world, between Christianity and Romanity, between the Church and the state. The report presents detailed summaries of the speeches delivered by the following speakers: Salvatore Puliatti, Bronisław Sitek, Stanisław Leszek Stadniczeńko, Krystyna Kossakowska-Jarosz, Józef Koredczuk, Piotr Sadowski, Aleksandra Szymańska, Marcin Piotr Bider, Karolina Wojtucka, Daniel Wojtucki, Piotr Steczkowski, Konrad Kamiński and Andrzej Szymański. The presentations of the other participants were only indicated by the titles of their papers. The conference, organised on the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, so important for both the Church and the Roman Empire, proves that the profane and the sacred are dichotomous categories, and that matters of religion are still relevant to society, the state and the Polish legal system.