From 3 to 5 August 2023, the city of Kalocsa hosted the IX Fraknói Summer Academy. Sixteen lectures were presented in five sessions of the three-day conference on Church History. New research results were presented in three venues this year. It was organised by the ELKH-PPKE-PTE Vilmos Fraknói Vatican Historical Research Group, the ELKH Gyula Moravcsik Institute and this time the PPKE BTK. This year the three-day event was organised in cooperation with the ELKH-OSZK Fragmenta et Codices Research Group, the András Kubinyi Historical Workshop of the PPKE BTK and the Károly Viski Museum. As in previous years, this year's conference served as a community-building event, in addition to interpreting current research results.
On 3 August, the participants of the Academy attended an Archbishop's Mass celebrated by Archbishop of Kalocsa-Kecskemét, Balázs Bábel. In his homily, the archpastor encouraged the participants of the Fraknói Summer Academy to work towards the full truth in the spirit of historical authenticity. Afterwards, researchers and students interested in church history gathered at the Károly Viski Museum, where they were welcomed by Nándor Birher, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Péter Tusor, founding curator of the Academy. In his speech, the Dean praised the work of the Vilmos Fraknói Roman History Research Group. In his speech, Péter Tusor spoke about the mission of Sumer the Academy, Pázmány Péter catholic University's community-building task, and its increasingly academic character, as the papers of last year's Piliscsaba conference have already been published in a separate volume (Collectanea Vaticana Hungariae I/21).
The first session was followed by presentations on medieval and early modern topics by Gábor Nemes, Tamás Fedeles and András Forgó. The second session was entirely devoted to early modern themes. Among the speakers were Mons. Tamás Tóth, Adél Lakatos and Imre Romsics. The sessions ended with a museum and city walk led by Imre Romsics.
On the second day, 4 August, 19th and 20th century church history topics were on the table. Presentations were given by Béla Vilmos Mihalik, Norbert Csibi, György Sági and Andor Lakatos. On this day, a panel discussion took place with Archbishop Balázs Bábel, who spoke to the Academy about the church politics of the communist era.
On 5 August, lectures were given by members of the Fragmenta et Codices Research Group, during which the Summer Academy was able to learn about the work of this research community.
In addition to the professional and cultural programmes, this year's event also provided an opportunity for academic and professional discussions between teachers, current and former students of the Catholic University and participants from other universities, thus strengthening the present and future of research in the field of Church history in Hungary. The three-day event was rounded off with a closing curatorial speech by Kornél Szovák. The Director of the Moravcsik Institute said that the Fraknói Summer Academy has proved in recent years that its establishment was not just a one-off initiative, but a timeless tradition.
The records of the academy will be published next year with the support of the PPKE BTK.
