Tadeusz Gacia

Rev. Dr. hab. Tadeusz Gacia is a Professor at the Department of Latin Philology, Institute of Literary Studies, Faculty of Humanities, John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin (KUL). His academic roles include heading the Department of Latin Philology and serving as a Latin lecturer at the Major Seminary in Kielce. He is also the Bishop's delegate for the classical form of the Roman Rite in the Kielce diocese.

Education: He holds an MA in Theology and an MA in Classical Philology (1995) from KUL, a PhD in Literary Studies (1998), and a habilitation (2008) for his work on agonistic metaphors in Christian Latin literature.

Research Interests: Professor Gacia specializes in Latin poetry from late antiquity to the Middle Ages, with emphasis on Venantius Fortunatus, Carolingian epigraphic poetry, and pre-Tridentine liturgical texts. His work also explores Latinitas ecclesiastica (ecclesiastical Latin) and Latinitas viva (living Latin). Key themes include martyrdom, Christian symbolism, and the intersection of classical and medieval literary traditions.

Publications: His extensive scholarly output focuses on medieval liturgical poetry, patristic literature, and translations of Latin texts. Recent works analyze motifs in Easter sequences, sepulchral inscriptions, and theological metaphors. He has translated over 100 poems by Venantius Fortunatus and key documents like Vatican II texts.

Awards:

• Feniks Award (2022, 2019, 2018) for translation and scholarly contributions
• Rector's Awards for team and individual research excellence
• International distinction 'Honorifica laude' (2017)

Advising & Service: He has supervised 6+ doctoral and master's theses on topics like early Christian poetry and patristic theology. As department head, he oversees research in Latin philology and promotes the use of Latin in academic and ecclesiastical contexts.