Here you see how Poles leave the Catholic church in large numbers
The rich days for Catholicism seem to have passed. But people are still proud of the Polish born Pope John Paul II. Photo AFP, Rojtek Radwanski
Central Europe
As the numbers of non-believers increase in Poland, the people are becoming less Catholic and more secular as a population.
In 2011, Poland became the only EU state to have its population identified as 88 per cent Catholic. Then in 2021, that number plummeted to 71 per cent in 2021, according to its national census data, which was also reported by Notes from Poland Now that it is 2024, several Polish cities show more signs that the country is foregoing its Catholic Christian roots.
According to Polish-based Public Opinion Research Center (CBOS) data, the number of those considered “non-believers” rose to around 14 per cent. This is the highest number recorded in its national data. Church attendance has also dropped significantly, showing no signs of stopping. In the same Notes from Poland report, the percentage of those who said that they attend Catholic mass regularly and are believers fell to around 39 per cent this year. Before 2005, that figure stayed around 57 per cent.
As the number of non-believers continues to increase, Warsaw’s mayor, Rafał Trzaskowski, has banned the public display of crucifix crosses in its government buildings. Trzaskowski’s recent actions in promoting neutrality have stirred up memories from the Communist era, when religious symbols were banned in its public buildings. Szymon Holownia, a member of the Polish parliament, has declared the removal of the crosses “unnecessary.” “I have found many crosses on the walls of the Sejm (lower legislative house in Polish parliament). While I personally will not hang crosses in public offices, I don’t think that today in Poland we need a war on whether crosses should be taken down from walls,” he said to International Christian Concern, which was posted on persecution.org.
Tattoos
Trzaskowski went several steps further by also banning the public display of crosses on staff desks, eliminating prayer from official events, and demanding employees to use their preferred pronouns, Notes from Poland reported. However, the recent directive does not include crosses that are worn for personal use, such as tattoos or chains.
While the new government has frowned upon Catholic crosses, they have warmed up to the idea of implementing more LGBTQ policies. In another Notes from Poland report, around 20,000 people and two government leaders attended Warsaw’s Equality Parade this June.
At the event, the country’s deputy prime minister, Krzysztof Gawkowski, told participants that it was a “great honour” to attend the march and promised to expand LGBTQ rights throughout the country. He is involved in the New Left party, which recently took over the conservative Law and Justice Party (PIS) and now makes up most of the country’s government.
Part of the left-leaning majority has also created a bill that would allow the registration of same-sex civil unions. However, the proposal has caused opposition among Donald Tusk’s majority coalition and the agriculturally oriented Polish People’s Party, as detailed in Euractiv.
While the legislation remains divided among the national parties, the EU Court of Human Rights has “obliged” Poland to amend its existing law on civil unions. The EU wants to see Poland include the right to a joint surname, equal access to medical information, and the right to take care of a partner’s children in case of death.
Revival
Despite Poland’s welcoming embrace of the secular over the sacred, some of its Christians are seeing it take place in the Protestant church.
Kasia Nowak, a former Catholic and an English instructor, said that much of the battle in fighting for God’s truth lies among fellow Christians in Poland. Whenever she has tried to post something about God or about current issues being debated within the church, much of the criticism comes from her Evangelical Protestant Christian friends on Facebook, not among non-believers, she said. She also finds that many of her Christian friends have come out in support of abortion and LGBTQ rights.
“Revival is being blocked by the same Christians trying to promote it,” she said.
Nowak also sees a spiritual crisis among the younger generations, as many pursue other beliefs besides their Catholic upbringing. “They want something more, and they are going for thrilling experiences, particularly supernatural ones,” she said.
Nowak also finds that many youths are embracing the occult and practices seen within witchcraft. Some of these same messages can also come in the form of those wanting to transition to another gender or questioning their gender identity. Yet, much of this struggle can be traced to demonic influences, and churches often avoid talking about these matters, she said.
Baptisms
Some have found them in home churches as young people continue to search for answers. This relatively new Evangelical Protestant movement is growing throughout the country. Daniel Machlowski, another former Catholic and the leader of a home church in Poznan, Poland, said that his congregation has seen at least nine baptisms and dozens making decisions to follow Jesus Christ. Most who attend his church are between 20 and 40 years old, and it is connected to a growing network of home-based congregations throughout the country.
In addition to heading a home church, he said that he plans to take Polish Catholics and Protestants on trips to well-known Biblical sites in Turkey. He hopes the trips will make the Bible come alive as they see key places in the New Testament.
Back in Poland, Machlowski said that at least one thousand people die every day in his country, and it should be the case that Christians should bring one thousand souls for Christ. “Let’s just share the Gospel as much as possible with as many people as possible,” he said.
Despite evidence of new expressions in the Christian faith, Kasia Nowak hopes that her country will return to its Christian foundation.
In the country’s history, several medieval-era Polish kings made covenants with God and blessed the Jews. Whenever they did, blessings followed. She said Poland was one of the only countries spared from the Black Death during that time.
In the meantime, she hopes that an awakening among its Christians will come to her nation sooner rather than later. “We really need people to read God’s Word and to fight for the pure Word of God,” she said.
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