The Rev. Romuald-Jakub Weksler-Waszkinel is contradiction in motion. He is a Roman Catholic priest who also happens to be Jewish. Weksler-Waszkinel was born during the Holocaust in central Europe to Jewish parents and given to a Catholic Polish family as an infant by his mother, who hoped to save his life. He did not learn his true ancestry until he was 35 years old and had been a priest for 12 years.

Weksler-Waszkinel will discuss his life as a hidden child and how he learned to reconcile his conflicting background in a program sponsored by the International Human Rights Law Institute (IHRLI) at DePaul University. The event, which is part of the IHRLI’s Memory and Conscience Distinguished Lecturer Series, will be held at 1:30 p.m., Sept. 16, at the DePaul University Conference Center, 1 E. Jackson Blvd., 8th Floor.

On her deathbed, Weksler-Waszkinel’s Polish mother told him of his true identity. He then faced the dilemma of being Jewish and a Catholic priest, and the pain of learning about his birth family and their fate at a Nazi concentration camp.

When he wrote to Pope John-Paul II about the matter, the pontiff responded with a letter using Waksler-Waszinkel’s full Jewish and Catholic names, which was the first time anyone had addressed him in this manner. The Pope left the decision to remain in the priesthood to Weksler-Waszinkel but stressed that he saw no problem in a Jewish man being a Catholic priest since Christ, himself, was Jewish. Weksler-Waszinkel, who currently teaches at the Catholic University of Lublin in Poland, chose to remain a priest and dedicate his life to the improvement of Catholic-Jewish understanding.

Waksler-Waszinkel, who was educated at the Catholic University of Lublin and at the Sorbonne in Paris, is the author of several books on philosophy and religion including “The Blessed God of Israel.” He also has written numerous articles on philosophical and theological issues for Polish and international journals.

The IHRLI initiated the ongoing Memory and Conscience series in 1996. It provides a forum in which noted experts and survivors of historical events—especially those with distinct human rights overtones—can engage the community in dialogue.

The event is free and open to the public, but reservations are required. Call Kay Dabrowski at 312/362-5728 for reservations or additional details.

Reporters wishing to cover Weksler-Waszkinel’s address should contact Valerie Phillips at 312/362-5039 or 312/330-3155 (cell).