Cardinal Stanislas Nagy, S.C.I., of the Priests of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (Dehonians), was born on September 30, 1921 at Bieru? Stary, Archdiocese of Katowice (Poland). He entered the Congregation of the Dehonian Fathers in 1937. On July 8, 1945 he was ordained a priest for the Order.

He served as rector of the Dehonian Fathers' Minor Seminary in Kraków-P?aszów and of the Major Seminary in Tarnów. He taught at the Catholic University of Lublin where, in 1972, he became professor.

From 1973 to 1974 he was a member of the Joint Catholic-Lutheran Commission. He also served as a member of the International Theological Commission and as director of the Ecumenical Theology section on the editorial staff of the Catholic Encyclopaedia of the University of Lublin. He took part in the Synods of 1981 and 1985. Concerned with the issue of ecumenism, he has written on the post-conciliar Church's openness to other Confessions.

He is the author of many books on John Paul II, with whom he has been a long-time collaborator.

Preconized Cardinal, he was elected to the titular church of Hólar, with the personal title of Archbishop, on October 7, 2003 and consecrated on October 13.

Created and proclaimed Cardinal by John Paul II in the Consistory of October 21, 2003, of the Deaconry of St. Mary della Scala.