Religion in Poland

Catholic St. Anne's Church in Warsaw.

Eastern Orthodox Metropolitan Cathedral in Warsaw.

Lutheran Jesus Church in Cieszyn.

Old Catholic Mariavite Church in Plock.

Catholic Mariavite Monastery in Felicjanów.

Most residents of Poland adhere to the Christian faith, with 89.8% belonging to the Roman Catholic Church.^[1] Catholicism plays an important role in the lives of many Poles and the Roman Catholic Church in Poland enjoys social prestige and political influence.^[2] The Church is widely respected by its members, who see it as a symbol of Polish heritage and culture.^[3] The rest of the population consists mainly of Eastern Orthodox (about 506,000 believers, mainly Polish Belarussians^[4]), Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Poland (about 85,000) and various Protestant (about 250,000, with about 130,000 Jehovah's Witnesses in the largest religious minorities.^[5][6]

According to the most recent Eurobarometer Poll 2005:^[7]

• 80% of Polish citizens responded that "they believe there is a God" (which was the fifth highest result in Europe).
• 15% answered that "they believe there is some sort of spirit or life force".
• 3% answered that "don't know".
• 2% answered that "they do not believe there is any sort of spirit, God or life force".

According to the most recent CBOS opinion poll published in the fall of 2008:^[8]

• 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".

From the beginning of its statehood, rulers of Poland were supporting religious minorities. In the 16th and 17th centuries, Poland was famous for its unique religious tolerance (see Statute of Kalisz (1264) and Warsaw Confederation (1573)).

However in the 15th and 18th century, pressure from the Catholic Church caused tensions to rise between Catholics and Protestants after the Edict of Wieluń and later the Tumult of Torun contributing to the Age of Enlightenment.

The Polish Constitution and religion

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.

Major denominations in Poland

Denomination	Members	Leadership
Catholic Church in Poland[9]  • Roman Catholic  • Byzantine-Ukrainian  • Armenian	33,550,000	• Józef Kowalczyk, Prymas of Poland  • Józef Michalik, Chairman of Polish Episcopate  • Celestino Migliore, Apostolic Nuncio to Poland  • Jan Martyniuk, Archbishop Metropolite of Byzantine-Ukrainian Rite
Polish Autocephalous Orthodox Church	506,000	Metropolitan of Warsaw Sawa
Jehovah's Witnesses in Poland	126,488[10]	Warszawska 14,Pl-05830 Nadarzyn
Evangelical-Augsburg Church in Poland	100,000	Bishop Fr. Jerzy Samiec
Old Catholic Mariavite Church in Poland	23,300	Chief Bishop Fr. Michał Maria Ludwik Jabłoński
Pentecostal Church in Poland	21,200	Bishop Fr. Marek Kamiński
Polish Catholic Church	18,900	Bishop Wiktor Wysoczański
Seventh-day Adventist Church in Poland	9,600	Fr. Paweł Lazar, President of the Church
Christian Baptist Church in Poland  • Baptist Union of Poland	6,500	President of the Church : Gustaw Cieślar
Islamic Religious Union in Poland	5,100	President of the Supreme Muslim College Stefan Korycki
Evangelical Methodist Church in Poland	4,460	Ruler of the Church, Bishop Edward Puślecki
Evangelical Reformed Church in Poland	3,500	President consistory Dr. Witold Brodziński
Catholic Mariavite Church in Poland	2,150	Bishop Damiana Maria Beatrycze Szulgowicz
Union of Jewish Confessional Communities in Poland	1,222	• President of the Main Board Piotr Kadlcik  • Chief rabbi of Poland Michael Schudrich

There are roughly 125 other minor religions registered in Poland.^[9]

See also

• Roman Catholicism in Poland
• Eastern Orthodoxy 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

1. ^ https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/pl.html
2. ^ "Encyclopedia Britannica-Religion in Poland".
3. ^ Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia 2007. "Poland".
4. ^ http://www.poland.gov.pl/Koscioly,i,zycie,religijne,w,Polsce,126.html
5. ^ (Polish) Kościoły i związki wyznaniowe w Polsce. Retrieved on June 17, 2008.
6. ^ http://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ko%C5%9Bcio%C5%82y_i_zwi%C4%85zki_wyznaniowe_w_Polsce
7. ^ Eurobarometer Poll 2005
8. ^ (Polish) 94% Polaków wierzy w Boga
9. ^ ^{a b} "Society". Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 2002. http://www.poland.gov.pl/?document=397. Retrieved 2008-12-03. 
10. ^ Template:Http://www.watchtower.org/e/statistics/worldwide report.htm Retrieved November 21, 2011

External links

• (Polish)/(English) Selected religious denominations in Poland, official statistics from 2001 (published in 2003)
• 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