For more than a thousand years, the Catholic Church has been interwoven into Poland’s cultural and political fabric, occupying a prominent role at the center of Polish life. For many Poles, being Catholic is part of the national identity, a defining characteristic that separates them from Lutheran Germany to the west, and the Orthodox countries to the east.
Recently, however, there has been a marked shift. The loyalty to and support for the Catholic Church has dropped as more and more people are developing a secular outlook characteristic ofthe more secular western European nations.
Over the course of Poland’s turbulent history, the Catholic Church remained a cultural guard and the last stronghold in the fight for independence and national survival. During the Communist regime following World War II, the Church became a pulpit for anti-communist intellectuals and an infrastructure for the country’s working-class dissidents.
The 1978 election of Polish Cardinal Karol Wojtyla as Pope John Paul II strengthened the political role of the Church and the Pope’s numerous visits to Poland became rallying points for those supporting as much as for those opposing the Soviet regime.
More than 20 years after the collapse of the Soviet Bloc, opinion polls indicate that Poles, 95 percent of whom declare themselves Catholic, now place more trust in the army and in the once-despised police than they do in their church. And 71 percent think the church has too much influence in public life, with only 3 percent saying it should have more.
I grew up in Poland when it was an almost uniformly Catholic country. My hometown, Czestochowa, is a national shrine to Virgin Mary. This is why the question of faith is particularly important to me.
Witnessing secular tendencies not only in Western Europe but also in the major Polish cities, I wanted my project to document the absolute faith that is now disappearing.
Faith: Polish Catholicism
Preparation for the Corpus Christy procession in Lipiny, district of Swietochlowice, Poland.
The chapel-car with the reproduction of the miraculous icon of Black Madonna from Czestochowa is seen in Franklinow, Poland.
Franklinow was one of the stages of the second pilgrimage of this reproduction. The first pilgrimage through Poland is dated 1957-1980. The second started in 1985.
A monk from Jasna Gora surrounded by believers is seen in the parish of Gorzno while removing rain protection from the reproduction of the miraculous icon of Black Madonna from Czestochowa in Wielkopolska region of Poland.
Gorzno was one of the stages of the second pilgrimage of this reproduction. The first [READ MORE]$('#captionMore5bf34f7c00341').tipsy({html:true, fallback:
"pilgrimage through Poland is dated 1957-1980. The second started in 1985. ", maxWidth: '500px', fontSize: '12px', delayIn: 500, delayOut: 3000});
A lady with her crippled grandson are seen touching with reproduction of the miraculous icon of Black Madonna from Czestochowa in Lewkow, Poland.
Lewkow was one of the stages of the second pilgrimage of this reproduction. The first pilgrimage through Poland is dated 1957-1980. The second started in 1985.
Catholic believers are seen in front of the parish in Gorzno, during the Mass on Friday, July 22nd, 2011
People standing in line to kiss the cross, which pope John Paul II was holding in his hands on Good Friday 2005, during his last Way of the Cross are seen in the parish of Pelnatycze village in Poland.
Young people surrounded by houndreds of pilgrims are seen carying the figure of the "Dormition of Mary" through the river in Paclawka during the devotion called "Stations of the Funeral of Our Lady".
Pilgrims sleeping around a confessional in Jasna Gora Monastery are seen on the night of the Feast of the Assumption.
Houndreds of thousands of Polish Catholics took part in a pilgrimage to the Black Madonna of Jasna Gora, in Czestochowa to celebrate the Feast of the Assumption. Groups of pilgrims were [READ MORE]$('#captionMore5bf34f7c00c7e').tipsy({html:true, fallback:
"walking even 600 kilometres to Czestochowa to pay their respects to the Virgin Mary. ", maxWidth: '500px', fontSize: '12px', delayIn: 500, delayOut: 3000});
A man is seen in his flat taking down the painting of Jesus from a wall while his daugther wakes up on the morning of the Corpus Christy feast. The painting will be used to decorate the street for the procession in Lipiny, district of Swietochlowice, Poland.
A girl carying figures of Mother Mary and Jesus Christ is seen after the Corpus Christy procession in Lipiny, district of Swietochlowice in Silesia, Poland. These figures were used to decorate the street during the procession.
Bishop Stanislaw Napierala is seen kissing the reproduction of the miraculous icon of Black Madonna from Czestochowa which has just arrived in the chapel-car in Przedborow, Poland.
Przedborow was one of the stages of the second pilgrimage of this reproduction. The first pilgrimage through Poland is dated [READ MORE]$('#captionMore5bf34f7c011f3').tipsy({html:true, fallback:
"1957-1980. The second started in 1985. ", maxWidth: '500px', fontSize: '12px', delayIn: 500, delayOut: 3000});
A young boy is seen playing at his grandmother's stand with devotional items in front of parish of Szczury, Poland.
A lady decorating her window on the way of the Corpus Christy procession is seen in Lipiny, Poland.
An old man rings the bell as the the reproduction of the miraculous icon of Black Madonna from Czestochowa arrives in Franklinow.
Franklinow was one of the stages of the second pilgrimage of this reproduction. The first pilgrimage through Poland is dated 1957-1980. The second started in 1985.
A group of people visiting the Chapel of Skulls in Czermna, Poland are seen on the evening of the Solemnity of All Saints.
Poland has long been one of the most Catholic nations in Europe, but today it's experiencing the sort of reduction in loyalty to the Catholic church which one normally sees in more [READ MORE]$('#captionMore5bf34f7c01956').tipsy({html:true, fallback:
"secularized western European nations. Ever since Poland officially adopted Latin Christianity in 966, the Catholic Church has played an important religious, cultural and political role in the country. For centuries, Poland has been a predominantly Catholic country, and for most Poles being Catholic is part of the Polish identity. It has historically been part of what separates Polish culture from neighboring Germany, especially eastern and northern Germany, which is mostly Lutheran, and the countries to the east which are Orthodox. During the times of foreign oppression, the Catholic Church remained for many Poles a cultural guard in the fight for independence and national survival. For instance, the Polish abbey in Częstochowa, which successfully resisted a siege in the Swedish invasion of Poland in the 17th century, became a symbol of national resistance to occupation. The establishment of a communist regime controlled by the Soviet Union following World War II allowed the church to continue fulfilling this role. The 1978 election of Polish Cardinal Karol Wojtyła as Pope John Paul II strengthened this it even further, and the Polish Pope's numerous visits to his mother country became rallying points for both the faithful and for opposition to the Soviet regime. The church became a pulpit for anti-communist intellectuals and an infrastructure for its working-class dissidents. When communism collapsed, the church thought it was the winner, that Poland was theirs. Nowadays opinion surveys indicate that Poles, 95 percent of whom are Catholic, now place more trust in the army and even in the once-reviled police than they do in their church. According to the latest poll, 71 percent say the church has too much influence in public life; only 3 percent say it should have more. ", maxWidth: '500px', fontSize: '12px', delayIn: 500, delayOut: 3000});
The statue of Christ the King in Swiebodzin, Poland photographed on the foggy morning, exactly one year after its coronation.
Announced once as the world's largest statue of Jesus Christ (taller than Rio de Janeiro's Christ the Redeemer) in the small Polish town of Swiebodzin lost the title end of June 2011 [READ MORE]$('#captionMore5bf34f7c01b43').tipsy({html:true, fallback:
"to the new largest Jesus built in Peru. Although a year ago when roughly 15,000 pilgrims flocked to the town on Sunday for the statue's unveiling, the first anniversary was extremly quiet. ", maxWidth: '500px', fontSize: '12px', delayIn: 500, delayOut: 3000});
A man out of the so called "cross defenders" group is seen praying in front of the Presidential Palace on January 17th, 2012.
A simple wooden cross which appeared as a harmless gesture, just days after a tragic presidentail plane crash on April 2010 and meant to commemorate the 96 people who died (among [READ MORE]$('#captionMore5bf34f7c01d1b').tipsy({html:true, fallback:
"them Poland's president, Lech Kaczynski) soon became a sort of shrine, a place to pray and to place candles. But later, it has turned into a battleground that exposes the deep cultural and political rifts within Polish society. After months of discussions the officials removed the cross. Since then, a group of deeply religious, strongly conservative demonstrators has been holding an everyday prayer at 9 pm in front of the Presidential Palace. They call themselves \"defenders of the cross.\"", maxWidth: '500px', fontSize: '12px', delayIn: 500, delayOut: 3000});
Group of people watching the farewell of the cross, which pope John Paul II was holding in his hands on Good Friday 2005, during his last Way of the Cross are seen in front of the parish of Pelnatycze village in Poland.
Fireworks are seen during the parish fair of Our Lady of Czestochowa church.
