 The Pontifical Academy of Theology was established by Pope John Paul II on 8 December 1981, when he issued a motu proprio document entitled "Beata Hedvigis" prescribing that the Pontifical Academy be derived from an age-old Faculty of Theology of the Jagiellonian University.In 1988 Włodzimierz Siedlik formed the Psalmodia Choir at the Liturgy Institute, and this was officially recognised as the choir of the Academy in 1996.On 19 June 2009 by virtue of the decision of Pope Benedict XVI the Academy became the Pontifical University of John Paul II.