Poland: religion and society. The role of religion in the life of modern Poles

The most religious people are the countries of the East, especially Muslims. The modern West is not that it becomes an atheist, but the strict fulfillment of all church dogmas and demands is characteristic of a growing number of Europeans. Against this background, Poland stands out sharply. Religion in this country inseparably accompanies citizens from birth to death. Poles are rightfully considered the most true believers among European peoples.

History of Christianity

The ancient Poles, like other Slavic tribes, worshiped pagan idols and natural phenomena. The transition to Christianity was inevitable for many reasons. The location of Poland between countries that have already come to Christianity, demanded an established relationship. As always, the religious situation in the country is approved for political reasons. During the reign of the Sack of the First, in 966, the time came when the introduction of Christianity became an urgent matter.

Mieszko became the baptizer of Poland, which was also facilitated by his marriage to Catholic Czech Dubravka Przhemislovic. Not only the foreign policy was guided by the ruler, he hoped that the Roman Catholic Church would help to squeeze local feudal lords and gain stronger authority and authority within the state. The feudal lords and pagan priests resisted, of course, innovations, but not for long. Christianity won, the Poles had to accept Catholicism.

How pagans became Catholics

The Catholic Church in Poland was approved by the methods of the carrot and the carrot. Particularly violent protests Meshko pacified with the help of the army, at the same time, the missionaries conducted explanatory work, agitation. The priests gently transformed pagan deities into Christian saints, new Catholic holidays were established on special days for the people. Honoring the dead, believing in the afterlife, in the existence of the soul, which is separated from the body, comes from paganism. Christianity also preaches this cult. Evil spirits turned into devils, and witches and sorcerers - in those who sold him a soul.

So Poland was baptized. Religion was established gently, but persistently. The remnants of paganism, however, are still manifest in our day - it is faith in mermaids, woodpeckers, and house-goblins.

Socialist Poland: religion

After a century, the Poles could no longer build their destinies without a church, a service and a Catholic priest. During the Great Patriotic War in the occupied territory, the service was conducted routinely and according to schedule. The first postwar elections brought victory to the Communist Party, the main enemy of which was the church. The persecution and persecution of priests and believers ended in the arrest of Cardinal Vyshinsky. But the Polish Catholics did not betray their faith - throughout the country there were periodic uprisings, dissatisfaction with the new government. These outbursts of indignation were so strong that the country's leadership had to establish relations with the church.

Religion and life

To date, the Roman Catholic Church in Poland supports all state initiatives. Many Polish politicians occupy their posts thanks to the support of the spiritual forces. This unnecessary politicization of the modern church is somewhat cooling the faith of many young people. Nevertheless, the connection between religion and the state is fixed at the state level: the marriage is considered valid only after the ceremony of the wedding, the children at school are taught a subject called "Religion", the successfully passed exam gives the right to a wedding. Freedom of religion is manifested in the fact that children from families professing other beliefs may not attend these lessons. A Sunday visit to the church for Poles is as customary as the morning's washing.

How do the Gentiles live?

The main religion in Poland is Catholicism, about 90% of the country's citizens profess it. This does not mean fanatical worship. The Poles are quietly neighbors with both atheists and adherents of other faiths. The Constitution of Poland guarantees freedom of religion and equality of all citizens. Marriages between Catholics and Orthodox have generally become the norm for a long time, the main thing is the wedding ceremony, regardless of which church. The number of representatives of other religious movements is much smaller than Catholics. Of these, the largest group is Orthodox. This is, as a rule, immigrants from Ukraine, Russia and Belarus, who moved to Poland to reside.

Small groups of believers are Protestants. One of the branches of this religion, which rejects political participation, is banned in Poland. These are the so-called Jehovah's Witnesses, who began to raise anti-government slogans too zealously. Jewish communities, admirers of Judaism on the Polish land are estimated at about 7 thousand people. A small group, about a thousand people, are Muslims.

Holy places

Poland, whose religion has withstood many persecutions and remained an integral part of the life of society, sacredly protects its holy places. Monasteries and churches are classified as monuments of culture and architecture. Somehow it happened that the most revered of the saints for the Poles - the Virgin Mary. She dedicated most of the sanctuaries, which here are called sanctuaries. There are about 200 of them in Poland, all have miraculous icons, many are built next to healing springs. The heart of religious worship is the Yasnogursky monastery in the city of Częstochowa. He is also famous for his miraculous icon of the Black Madonna. Complexes of temples and chapels - calvary - places visited not only by Poles, but also by visiting tourists. The most famous Kalwaria Zebrzydowska is one of the monuments protected by UNESCO.

The Poles are the most religious people in Europe, nevertheless people perceive their faith as additional moral support and treat it soberly and pragmatically.