Jasna Góra - English – Regulations for Organizers of Pilgrimages and Other Events at Jasna Góra

Regulations for Organizers of Pilgrimages and Other Events at Jasna Góra

May 24, 2024, 9:27 a.m., M L


The monastery and sanctuary at Jasna Góra is a holy place that plays a significant role in the life and ministry of the Church in Poland. It is open to people of all denominations, various social groups, organizations, and associations, maintaining mutual respect and honoring the faith and teachings of the Catholic Church. The primary goals for everyone coming here should be participation in the liturgical life of the Church, veneration of the Mother of God, openness to the Word of God proclaimed here, and a desire for conversion. Therefore, Jasna Góra is a place of spiritual refuge for all in need, wanting to deepen their Catholic faith and devote themselves to prayer.

As a historical monument and a living center for building national community, the sanctuary also serves as a venue for important state and social events, in the spirit of Christian patriotism and love for one's neighbor, in accordance with Catholic social teaching.

Organizers and participants of pilgrimages and other events at Jasna Góra are obliged to comply with canon law, the norms issued by the Polish Bishops' Conference, state law regulations, and the rules set by the Prior and the Custodian of Jasna Góra.

Therefore, the following regulations are established:

1. Organizing pilgrimages and other events at Jasna Góra is possible only after obtaining explicit permission from the Custodian, determining the date, time frame, and program of the stay at the sanctuary.

2. Pilgrimage organizers are authorized to invite state authorities and public figures to Jasna Góra only after consultations with the Custodian.

3. Events organized at the sanctuary must not be occasions for manifesting any political views or social beliefs that contradict the teachings of the Church.

4. Preaching the Word of God in the sanctuary should be carefully prepared, evangelical, kerygmatic, based on Church teaching, and aimed at deepening Marian spirituality. It must not include the preacher's personal opinions, especially political references or social themes contrary to Church teaching. This principle also applies to other speeches during liturgies.

5. The Chapel of Our Lady of Jasna Góra, with the Miraculous Image of the Mother of God, is a place reserved exclusively for liturgy and preaching the Word of God by clergy. Lay speeches are allowed only in the case of prayer, testimonies, acts of dedication, or evangelization conferences planned by the Organizer after obtaining explicit permission from the Custodian.

5. Lay speeches are allowed in other areas of the sanctuary, but only outside liturgical times and places. The list of speakers and the time frame of the speeches must be approved by the Custodian.

7. The sanctuary welcomes the multitude and diversity of groups as expressions of the Church's vitality. However, it strictly prohibits the promotion of non-Christian attitudes and ideologies at Jasna Góra, especially national divisions, hostility, contempt, racism, xenophobia, egoism, nationalism, and fundamentalism [cf.: The Christian Shape of Patriotism. Document of the Polish Bishops' Conference prepared by the Council for Social Affairs].

8. Organizing any demonstrations, displaying signs, and symbols promoting parties or movements with views contrary to Catholic teaching is prohibited throughout the sanctuary.

9. Preparing and conducting artistic events, any changes in decoration and organization of spaces, is only possible after explicit permission from the Custodian.

10. The use of pyrotechnic materials or the emission of high-intensity sounds is only possible with the permission of the appropriate authorities, after prior consent from the Custodian.

11. Conducting broadcasts, reports, information services, and photography, inviting journalists, organizing press conferences, and other forms of media activity are only possible after arrangements with the Jasna Góra Press Office. Journalists covering events at Jasna Góra are required to have accreditation.

12. The monastery or other authorized entities may record, broadcast, and use images and sound. Being on the sanctuary premises implies consent to recording and using one's image.

13. These Regulations are effective from the moment of publication on the website of the Jasna Góra Press Office. Ignorance of its provisions does not exempt from compliance with the above arrangements. The interpretation and introduction of changes to these Regulations fall within the competence of the Prior of Jasna Góra.

Jasna Góra, 28 June 2020

Fr. Samuel Pacholski

Prior of Jasna Góra