The prefect of the Congregation for Catholic Education, Cardinal Zenon Grocholewski, made the appointment with a decree June 4.
Father Kijas, 45, of the Polish province of St. Anthony, has a licentiate in theology from the Gregorian University. He received his doctorate from the Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium.
The new president of the Seraphicum is a professor at the Pontifical Academy of Theology of Krakow, and at major seminaries of religious institutes of the Polish capital.
He served as dean of theology at the Pontifical Academy of Theology of Krakow, and as director of the Institute of Dialogue and Ecumenism and director of the Center of Franciscan Studies of that faculty.
Father Kijas is a member of the Catholic Church’s Commission for Dialogue with the Old Catholic Church in Poland. He is the author of more than 20 books.
Among the students of the Seraphicum was St. Maximilian Kolbe.
