Roman Catholicism in Poland

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"Polish Church" redirects here. For other uses, see Polish Church (disambiguation).
See also: Religion in Poland
Monument in Poznan to Karol Wojtyla, a Pole who reigned as Pope John Paul II from 1978 to 2005.

Ever since Poland officially adopted Latin Christianity in 966, the Catholic Church has played an important religious, cultural and political role in the country. Identifying oneself as Catholic distinguished Polish culture and nationality from neighboring Germany, especially eastern and northern Germany, which is mostly Lutheran, and the countries to the east which are Orthodox. During times of foreign oppression the Catholic Church was a cultural guard in the fight for independence and national survival. For instance, the Polish abbey in Częstochowa, which successfully resisted a siege in the Swedish invasion of Poland in the 17th century, became a symbol of national resistance to occupation. The establishment of a communist regime controlled by the Soviet Union following World War II allowed the church to continue fulfilling this role, although recent allegations suggest there was some collaboration between Polish clergy and the regime.[1] The 1978 election of Polish Cardinal Karol Wojtyła as Pope John Paul II strengthened the ties of identification. John Paul's visits to Poland became rallying points for both the faithful and galvanized opposition to the Soviet regime. His beatification in 2011 further instilled pride and joy in the Polish people.

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Number of Catholics in Poland [edit]

Currently a majority of Poles, approximately 88% identify themselves as Roman Catholic, and 58% say they are active practicing catholics, according to a survey done by the Centre for Public Opinion Research.[2] According to the Ministry of Foreigns Affairs of the Republic of Poland, 95% of Poles belong to the Roman Catholic Church;.[3] However, this survey bases the number of adherents on the number of infants baptized,[4] as provided by the Catholic Church. CIA Factbook gives a number of 89.8% belonging to the Roman Catholic Church and about 75% as practicing Catholics.[5]

Throughout Europe the rates of religious observance are steadily decreasing. Poland is also following this trend although it still remains one of the most devoutly religious countries in Europe. Polish Catholics participate in the sacraments more frequently than their counterparts in most Western European and North American countries. A 2009 study by the Church itself revealed that 80% of Poles go to confession at least once a year, while 60% of the respondents say they do so more often than once a year.[6] By contrast, a 2005 study by Georgetown University's Center for Applied Research on the Apostolate revealed that only 14% of American Catholics take part in the sacrament of penance once a year, with a mere 2% doing so more frequently.[7] Tarnów is the most religious city in Poland, and Łódź is the least. The southern and eastern parts of Poland are more active in their religious practices than those of the West and North. The majority of Poles continue to declare themselves Roman Catholic.[8] This is in stark contrast to the otherwise similar neighboring Czech Republic, which is one of the least religious practicing areas on Earth, with only 19% declaring "they believe there is a God" of any kind.[9]

The Centre for Public Opinion Research, regularly conducts surveys on religious practice in Poland. A 2012 document reported that for more than a quarter century church attendance and declarations of religious faith has been stable, decreasing only minimally since 2005, when the grief related to the death of Pope John Paul II led to an increase in religious practice among Poles. In a 2012 study, 54% of Poles declared that they attend religious services at least once a week, 18% do so once or twice a month, 20% do so several times a year, and only 8% do so never or almost never. Meanwhile, 94% of Poles consider themselves to be religious believers (9% of whom consider themselves "deeply religious"), while only 6% of Poles claim that they are non-believers.[10]

Easter continues to be an important holiday for Polish Catholics. According to a 2012 study by the Centre for Public Opinion Research, 74% of Poles make an effort to participate in the sacrament of penance before Easter, 59% make an effort to attend the Stations of the Cross or Gorzkie żale (an increase of 6% since 2003), 57% want to improve themselves for the better (an increase of 7%), 49% want to help the needy (an increase of 8%), and 46% want to pray more (a decline of 5%).[11]

Hierarchy [edit]

  • Archdiocese
    • Diocese        

Latin names of dioceses in italics.

Map of Poland with dioceses

Extraterritorial units [edit]

See also [edit]

Notes [edit]

  1. ^ Smith, Craig S. (10 January 2007). "In Poland, New Wave of Charges Against Clerics". The New York Times. Retrieved 2012-03-17. 
  2. ^ (Polish) Centrum Badania Opinii Społecznej (Centre for Public Opinion Research (Poland) CBOS). Komunikat z badań; Warszawa, Marzec 2005. Co łączy Polaków z parafią? Preface. Accessed 2007-12-14.
  3. ^ "Churches and Religious Life in Poland". poland.gov.pl. 
  4. ^ "Kościół podaje 7% ochrzczonych z kapelusza! | Www.wystap.pl – jak wystąpić z kościoła. Centrum informacji i platforma batalii". Wystap.pl. 22 August 2010. 
  5. ^ "CIA – The World Factbook". Cia.gov. 
  6. ^ "80% Polaków chodzi do spowiedzi – Wiadomości – WP.PL". Wiadomosci.wp.pl. 
  7. ^ "A Comeback for Confession". Time. 27 September 2007. 
  8. ^ Admin – Malach. "G³ogów OnLine – Liczenie wiernych w ko¶cio³ach". Malach.org. 
  9. ^ "Social values, Science and Technology" (PDF). Eurobarometer. June 2005. Retrieved 2006-12-19. 
  10. ^ "CBOS potwierdza. Zdecydowana większość Polaków uznaje się za katolików". wPolityce.pl. April 2012. Retrieved 2012-12-11. 
  11. ^ "CBOS: Polak może nie chodzić do Kościoła, ale jajkiem się podzieli". Wprost. April 2012. Retrieved 2012-12-11. 

External references [edit]

  • Frucht, Richard. Eastern Europe: An Introduction to the People, Lands, and Culture. Volume 1. ABD-CLIO inc. Santa Barbara, Ca.

Further reading [edit]

External links [edit]

Principal religions of Poland
State-recognised
Not state-recognised
Sovereign states
Dependencies and
other territories
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