Person and Act and Related Essays

The Catholic University of America Press is honored to publish the first volume of the English Critical Edition of the Works of Karol Wojtyła/John Paul II. Under the auspices of an international editorial board, the English Critical Edition will comprise more than 20 volumes, covering all of John Paul's writings and correspondence in the years before and during his papacy.

This collection is essential for several reasons. For one thing, gaining access to the saint's writings has posed a significant challenge. Except for official papal addresses and documents preserved and disseminated by the Vatican, St. John Paul's works have been scattered and limited. Many documents need a new translation. Finally, English-language audiences have faced the challenge, even in the case of published texts of dealing with several languages, various translations, and textual idiosyncrasies.

The inaugural volume of this collection is Person and Act and Related Essays. In many ways Person and Act constitutes Karol Wojtyła's most profound and well-known philosophical work. Originally published in 1969 as Osoba i czyn, this work of metaphysics and philosophy is widely influential even though it is highly challenging intellectually and has heretofore posed difficulties for translators.