Religion in Poland

Religion in Poland (Eurobarometer 2012)^[1]

  Catholic (91%)

  Orthodox (1%)

  Other Religion (2%)

  Atheist (2%)

  Non believer/Agnostic (3%)

  Not stated (1%)

Cathedral in Radom.

The population of [6]^[7][8] and the flight of German Protestants from the Soviet army at the end of World War II.

Catholicism plays an important role in the lives of many Poles and the Roman Catholic Church in Poland enjoys social prestige and political influence.^[9] The Church is widely respected by its members, who see it as a symbol of Polish heritage and culture.^[10] Poland is the most Catholic country in Europe except for Malta with a higher proportion of Catholics than Italy, Spain and Ireland. The rest of the population consists mainly of Eastern Orthodox (504,150 believers, Polish and Belarussian),^[3][4] various Protestant churches (about 145,600, with the largest being the Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Poland with 61,738 members)^[3][4][4] and Jehovah's Witnesses (129,270). Other religions practiced in Poland include Islam and Judaism.^[3][4]

History

From the beginning of its statehood, different religions coexisted in Poland. With the baptism of Poland in 966, the old pagan religions soon disappeared over the next few centuries; however Christian Poles coexisted with a significant Jewish segment of the population.^[11][12] In the 15th century, the Hussite Wars and the pressure from the Vatican caused tensions to rise between Catholics and emerging Protestants after the Edict of Wieluń (1424).^[13] The Protestant movement however gained a significant following in Poland, and while Catholicism retained a dominant position, the liberal Warsaw Confederation (1573) guaranteed wide religious tolerance.^[13] Resulting counter-reformation eventually succeeded in reducing the scope of tolerance by late 17th and early 18th century, as evidenced by events such as the Tumult of Torun (1724).^[13][14][15] When Poland lost the last vestiges of its independence to foreign invaders in 1795, Poles were subjected to religious discrimination for 123 years under German rule and Imperial Russia.^[16] According to a 2011 survey by Ipsos MORI 85% of the Poles are Christians, 8% are irreligious, atheist or agnostic, 2% adhere to unspecified other religions, and 5% did not give an answer to the question.^[17]

Mass attendance

A 2012 opinion poll conducted by CBOS found the following:^[18]

• 6% attended Mass or religious services more than once a week.
• 48% attended Mass or religious services once a week.
• 18% attended Mass or religious services around once or twice a month.
• 20% attended Mass or religious services a few times a year.
• 8% did not attend Mass or religious services at all.

A 2004 Gallup report found that 63% of Poles attend Mass or religious services at least once a week.^[19]

Theism polls

A 2012 opinion poll conducted by CBOS found the following:^[18]

• 9% of Poles were deep believers in God.
• 85% of Poles were believers in God.
• 3% of Poles rather did not believe in God.
• 3% of Poles definitely did not believe in God.

According to the most recent Eurobarometer Poll 2010:^[1]

• 79% of Polish citizens responded that "they believe there is a God".
• 14% answered that "they believe there is some sort of spirit or life force".
• 5% answered that "they do not believe there is any sort of spirit, God or life force".
• 3% answered that "don't know".

According to a CBOS opinion poll published in the fall of 2008:^[20]

• 94% of Poles claim "they believe in God",
• 6% claim they "do not believe in God or do not know",
• 52% of believers claim "they attend to mass, religious meetings etc. at least once a week",
• while 17% do so "once or twice a month",
• 18% do so "a few times a year",
• and 13% "never do so".

The Polish Constitution and religion

Roman Catholic St. Florian's Cathedral, Warsaw

According to Poland's Constitution freedom of religion is ensured to everyone. It also allows for national and ethnic minorities to have the right to establish educational and cultural institutions, institutions designed to protect religious identity, as well as to participate in the resolution of matters connected with their cultural identity.

Religious organizations in the Republic of Poland can register their institution with the Ministry of Interior and Administration creating a record of churches and other religious organizations who operate under separate Polish laws. This registration is not necessary; however, it is beneficial when it comes to serving the freedom of religious practice laws.

The Slavic Rodzimowiercy groups, registered with the Polish authorities in 1995, are the Native Polish Church (Rodzimy Kościół Polski) which represents a pagan tradition that goes back to Władysław Kołodziej’s 1921 Holy Circle of Worshipper of Światowid (Święte Koło Czcicieli Światowida), and the Polish Slavic Church (Polski Kościół Słowiański),^[21] There's also the Native Faith Association (Zrzeszenie Rodzimej Wiary, ZRW), and the Association for Tradition and Culture Niklot (founded in 1998).

Major denominations in Poland

Sources^[3][4]

There are roughly 125 other minor religions and faith groups registered in Poland.^[22]

Selected locations

• Roman Catholic Cathedral in Wrocław

• Old Catholic Mariavite Church in Płock

• St. Anna in Warsaw Wilanów

• St. Peter and St. Paul Cathedral in Legnica

• Basilica in Licheń Stary - the largest church in Poland

• Oliwa Cathedral, Gdansk

• Włocławek Cathedral

• St. Peter and St. Paul Cathedral in Poznan

• St. Stanislaus Kostka Cathedral in Łódź

• Church of Our Lady Queen of the Polish Crown, Warsaw

• Cathedral in Radom

• Romanesque church in Czerwińsk by Vistula river

• Cathedral in Lublin

• Saint Roch and John Church in Brochów

• Cathedral Basilica of the Holy Family in Częstochowa seen from the John Paul II square

• Catholic St. Anne's Church in Warsaw

• Catholic Mariavite Monastery in Felicjanów

• St. Catherine church in Gdańsk

• Frombork Cathedral in Frombork

• St. Nicolaus Church in Elbląg

• Eastern Orthodox Church of the Holy Spirit in Białystok

• Eastern Orthodox Metropolitan Cathedral in Warsaw

• Lutheran Jesus Church in Cieszyn

• Nożyk Synagogue in Warsaw

• Tempel Synagogue in Kraków

• Mosque in Kruszyniany

• Mosque in Gdańsk

See also

• Roman Catholicism in Poland
• Eastern Orthodoxy in Poland
• Protestantism in Poland
• Polish anti-religious campaign (1945–1990)
• Irreligion in Poland
• Islam in Poland
• Buddhism in Poland
• Hinduism in Poland
• History of the Jews in Poland
• Bahá'í Faith in Poland
• Slavic Neopaganism

References

External links

• (Polish)/(English) Religious denominations in Poland, official statistics from 2008 (published in 2010)
• List of churches and religious unions registered according to special legislation
• List of churches and religious unions from the Register of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Administration

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