The Catholic Church: a prominent place
The place and influence of Catholicism in Polish society has fluctuated throughout the country's history. It was with the end of the Second World War, and a little later with the fall of communism (1989), that the Catholic Church regained a predominant place in Poland. From the media to education and politics, the Church is present everywhere. Numerous events, such as religious ceremonies and processions, are organized throughout the year, attracting thousands of faithful. Easter, All Saints' Day, Christmas and Corpus Christi are just some of the highlights. Częstochowa and Licheń, two major pilgrimage sites, attract thousands of worshippers every year. Częstochowa is the world's fifth-largest pilgrimage site. On August 15, more than 5 million people come to celebrate the Black Madonna.
Committed religious figures
Religion and the spirituality that goes with it have permeated Polish society for generations. Great religious figures have left their mark on the country through their commitments and positions. The most prominent Polish figure is undoubtedly Pope John Paul II. Born in Wadowice as Karol Józef Wojtyła, he rose through the ecclesiastical ranks to become priest, bishop, archbishop of Krakow and then cardinal. On October 16, 1978, he was elected Pope of the Catholic Church under the name John Paul II. He succeeded John Paul I, also elected in 1978, whose pontificate was short. He was the first non-Italian pope to be elected in four hundred and fifty-five years. Until his death on April 2, 2005, John Paul II held the office and assumed the responsibilities inherent in his position. He is considered one of the most influential men of the 20th century, and also one of the most beloved. A fervent defender of human rights, religious freedom and peace, he visited no less than one hundred and twenty-nine countries during his pontificate. His role in the fall of communism in Eastern Europe, and by extension in the fall of the Berlin Wall, was decisive. He lent his support to the cause of the Polish trade union Solidarność (Solidarity), whose peaceful actions helped to combat communist despotism. Through his actions, John Paul II also sought to improve relations between the Catholic Church and other religions, notably Judaism and Islam. Finally, he is known for his strong opposition to abortion, contraception and euthanasia. On May1, 2011, Pope Benedict XVI, successor to John Paul II, beatified him. On April 27, 2014, his canonization was pronounced by Pope Francis, and he is now commemorated on October 22, the day of his enthronement.
In the 1980s, a number of religious figures became involved in the fight against communist ideology. Such was the case of priest Jerzy Popiełuszko, kidnapped by the political police in Warsaw on October 19, 1984. Tortured, his body was thrown into the Vistula and found ten days after his disappearance, on October 30. The man who promoted "Masses for the Fatherland" was very popular throughout the country, and fiercely embodied the people's will to resist. Like John Paul II, he had close ties with the Solidarność trade union. His courage, commitment and tragic end made him a martyr.
Stefan Wyszyński, archbishop of Gniezno and Warsaw, cardinal in 1953, was the most famous ecclesiastical figure opposed to the Communist regime. He was imprisoned for three years from 1953 to 1956, as a result of his resistance actions.
Catholicism, influence and other cults
This predominance of the Catholic Church in Poland can, however, be a source of tension. The issue of abortion, for example, is highly controversial in the country. Indeed, the Catholic Church is firmly opposed to it, whatever the circumstances. In 1953, it succeeded in getting a restrictive law passed, condemning abortion even in cases of rape, incest or malformation of the foetus. This law has evolved over the years, softening only to harden again in 2020(see "The country today"). These positions are, of course, contested by part of the population, and demonstrations on the issue of abortion regularly take place in the country. The younger generation, more open to the world, is tending to shake things up. Nevertheless, there is still a duality between the conservative part of the country (over which the Church has great influence) and the more liberal, progressive part.
Secularism is also at the heart of debate in Poland. According to its defenders, the Catholic Church and its influence disrupt the neutrality of the state, undermining the objectivity of laws and societal issues debated in the country. This powerful hegemony would then have a strong impact on the discrimination suffered by religious minorities and non-believers.
Although Catholicism still has an important place in Polish society, it is clear that the increase in expatriation and immigration has upset the balance somewhat, making it more cosmopolitan. The country is now a place where several religions coexist, including Judaism, Islam and Orthodoxy. These communities remain in the minority, but they play a decisive role in the country's openness to the rest of the world, the evolution of mentalities and its cultural richness.
Jewish history in Poland
The first Jewish communities settled in Poland in the 11th century. At that time, Jews were expelled from Central European countries, mainly because of their religious faith. Poland was booming at the time, and needed skilled labor to bolster its economic development. The country fervently opened its doors to the Jews, offering them land to settle on, but above all protection unheard of at the time. The "Kalisz Charter", signed by the king, protected them from persecution. In the Middle Ages, the country was considered the nerve center of Jewish life in Europe. Prosperous cities such as Krakow, Lublin and Poznań emerged, thanks to the settlement of Jews in their midst. Today, these cities are still imbued with an important cultural heritage, despite the small size of the Jewish diaspora. In Krakow's Kazimierz district, historically the city's Jewish quarter, an annual festival is held to showcase Jewish cultural heritage. Over the following centuries, the Jewish community and the Polish nobility ("szlachta") signed fruitful agreements. This prosperity was swept away in the 18th century, when the partition of the country between Russia, Prussia and Austria was published in Warsaw on August 5, 1772. The Jews were once again the victims of persecution, similar to that suffered in previous centuries in Central Europe. It was at this time that the "Haskala" movement, comparable to the Enlightenment, was born. Its main aim was to teach Jews the foundations of a general culture based on the sciences, and no longer exclusively on religion. Key figures in this movement, such as the poet Isaac Leib Peretz, are still recognized as important figures in Jewish culture today. The creation of this movement gave rise to tensions between Conservative and more liberal Jews. Later in the 19th and early 20th centuries, persecution persisted and intensified, prompting part of the community to immigrate en masse to the United States. For those who remained in Europe, the First World War signaled their departure for the front, as for the rest of the population. The inter-war period was a period of respite for Polish Jews, who once again prospered in their businesses, before experiencing the darkest hours of their history. On September1, 1939, Germany invaded Poland, triggering the Second World War. The crimes perpetrated by Nazi Germany against the European Jewish community led to their virtual extermination. Parked in ghettos such as Warsaw, they were starved, exploited and killed. Over three million were murdered in the camps. The Treblinka extermination camp, not far from Warsaw, and the notorious Auschwitz concentration camp, in the south of the country, were the scene of these mass murders. The unprecedented trauma suffered by the Jewish population led to a new exodus to Israel and North America in the post-war period. Today, the Jewish community is still present in the country, but it is drastically reduced in comparison with the past. There are just a few thousand Jews living in the country, most of them in Warsaw, where the country's largest synagogue is located. This minority is working to preserve the cultural and religious heritage of Polish Jews, and to rebuild links with Jewish communities around the world.
Religious minorities in Poland, what you need to know
There are four main religious minorities in Poland: Orthodox Christians, Protestants, Jews and Muslims.
Orthodox Christians form the country's second-largest religious community, with around 600,000 followers. They live mainly in the east and southeast of the country, and are mostly descendants of the Ukrainian minority that lived in Poland before the Second World War.
Protestants, despite their long history in the country, represent only a small religious minority. Present since the Protestant Reformation, they are mainly concentrated in the regions of Silesia, Pomerania, Masuria and Wielkopolska (Wielkopolska).
The Muslim community is relatively small, but growing. Indeed, immigration to Poland is on the rise, and Muslim workers are increasingly settling here. For the most part, it is Muslim Tatars who are moving abroad, as their community has had historical links with the country for centuries. There are three Muslim religious communities in the country. The largest of these has almost 5,000 members.
Myths and legends in Poland
Beyond its deeply rooted religious beliefs, Poland abounds in a multitude of legends and myths to discover. These popular beliefs are often linked to specific Polish towns or mythical heroes, and are handed down from generation to generation. They represent an important part of the country's cultural heritage and feed the imagination of Poles. In a deeply religious society, they shape, in their own way, a collective vision of history, and thus convey important morals and values. These myths and legends also serve to promote local culture, through festivities organized to celebrate the tales and heroes that have contributed to Polish history.
One of the best-known legends is undoubtedly that of the Warsaw Mermaid. Also known as Syrenka, she lived in the river that flows through the city, the Vistula. She arrived from the Baltic Sea, where she once lived with her sister, the famous Little Mermaid of Copenhagen! Discreet, it was the fishermen who discovered her existence, after seeing their nets damaged and the fish fleeing to the shore. Their anger, though tenacious, soon gave way to admiration when they discovered the beauty and sweet voice of the mermaid. One day, as she sang on the banks of the Vistula, a foreign merchant heard her. Enchanted by the beautiful creature, he decided to capture her and take her back to his country, to display her in his store. The locals objected, and with the help of the fishermen, the mermaid was rescued. To honor the people's bravery in rescuing her, Syrenka decided to remain in Warsaw to protect the city. Today, she is the city's emblem, featured on numerous flags, monuments and sculptures. A fountain has been erected in her honor in the heart of the Old Town.
Like Warsaw, Krakow also has its own legend. According to myth, a dragon lived in a cave beneath Wawel Castle, terrorizing the city's inhabitants. In fact, he used to wander around every day, burning down houses as he went, devouring sheep and locals alike. The king, powerless in the face of his terrorized people, sent his soldiers to fight it, to no avail... He even promised his daughter's hand in marriage to the brave man who could eliminate the frightful creature. It was then that a young apprentice shoemaker found the stratagem to kill the beast. After filling a sheep with sulfur, he placed it in the dragon's path, which devoured it in one bite. It didn't take long for the poisoned prey to quench the fire-eater's thirst. To quench his thirst, he drank copious quantities of water from the Vistula and finally exploded! The king kept his word and the young man married the sovereign's daughter. The dragon, like the Warsaw mermaid, is today one of the city's symbols. A statue of him stands at the entrance to the cave where he is said to have lived. It has the particularity of spitting fire every five minutes or so, and it's even possible to trigger its flame by sending a text message. At least 2,500 text message requests are made every day to generate the dragon's breath on command! Just text "Smok" to 7168. The legend is commemorated every year at a major festival, during which a giant puppet of the creature is paraded through the streets.
There are a host of other fascinating myths in Poland: the legend of Poznań and its dove who saved the city from the invaders, the story of the violinist from Gdańsk and his beautiful music who, after moving the Swedish soldiers who had come to plunder the city to tears, made them desert... Some of these myths are still used today to teach children important principles of life. Such is the case with the story of the tyrannical king Popiel, who, after ruling the Gniezno region with violence, died with his family as a result of a mouse attack. This myth is intended to make young Poles aware that every action has its consequences. The legend of Princess Wanda is used to inculcate the spirit of resistance and the notion of sacrifice to one's homeland.
