Part II: Religion
Hello there, hope you are back to read about Religion in Post-Communist Poland.
Before I begin, I believe it is both appropriate and essential to understand the history of the Polish people to understand why religion was as prevalent as it was during Communism.
In 1795 the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth ended and the Polish people lost their country for exactly 123 years. During this time it’s natural to assume that a country for Poles would not be formed again. During this time period, however, the Romantic movement was spreading through Europe and Poland and this progressed the transformation of modern nationalism. Not only did Nationalism and the Romantic movement help Poles recognize their identity and retain it, but perhaps the most important component in the curation of the Polish identity was the Catholic church.
During these 123 years, The previously known Commonwealth was divided amongst primarily Germany and Russia. The pressure to conform to the languages and customs of the Poles’ new countries was strong and perhaps would have eradicated the Polish identity had it not been for the Catholic Church. The Germans were Lutheran/Protestant and the Russians were Orthodox, however, the Poles were Roman Catholic. Because the Polish people held onto this aspect of their life, they were able to retain their identity during their occupation, allowing for them to form a sovereign nation 123 years later in 1918 after the Great War.
Even if not religious, a Pole recognizes the significance and importance of the Catholic church. For there may only be a country to call Poland because the Catholic church gave all Poles a common identity to hold onto for generations.
That being said, it is no surprise as to why religion persisted in Communist Poland, even if the USSR did not favor religious institutions. And in its Post-Communist state, Poland still stands as a stronghold for Catholicism. Even those not religious still present reverence to the Church. Those that do attend mass dress much more formally than one would expect from churches in countries such as the United States. And churches are very much prevalent in Poland.
Each dot represents a church, wow!
I hope you found that interesting. If you did, please do resteem and follow to see the final installment in my series.