On 27 July 1918, on the initiative of the Rev. Idzi Radziszewski, the Polish Episcopate established the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Lublin with Radziszewski taking the office of rector (university president). After the death of Pope John Paul II, the University Senate convened for an extraordinary meeting on 4 April 2005 resolved to name the University after Pope John Paul II as homage paid to the great Polish pope.

   The University's mission is to conduct research in the spirit of harmony between science and faith, as well as educating and nurturing the Catholic intelligentsia and fostering Christian culture. The identity of the University is manifested in: special attention to the high level of research and graduate education, the study and dissemination of the Christian vision of man and the world against the backdrop of contemporary challenges, the concern for the preservation and cultivation of the most precious traditions of the homeland and, with this end in view, the formation of young generations; moreover, this identity is demonstrated through the University's pursuing policies related to its location in Lublin, the city hosting the Union of Lublin establishing the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1569. It is the University's name, the name of its patron and its motto Deo et Patrie that urge the academic community to advocate its identity.

   The historical legacy of Lublin calls for an active involvement - also in collaboration with other universities and non-academic institutions - in the affairs of the city and the region. Multinational traditions of the Republic, as well as the situation of the city near the eastern Polish border, indicate the trends in international cooperation and lead to the strengthening of ties between the nations of the Old Continent, and combine the achievements of Eastern and Western culture.

   With respect and reverence, John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin recognizes and continues the great Polish pope's work of life and teaching; the pope himself adjured the University to do so during his memorable visit to Lublin on 9 June 1987, "University! Alma Mater! You are embraced by the same love that Christ loved unto the end. You are embraced by the Eucharist. Remain in this beneficiary embrace of the Redeemer of the world. Serve the Truth! If you serve the Truth - you serve Freedom. And liberation of man and the Nation. You serve Life!"

(Fragments of the Preamble of the Statute of KUL)