Controversies in the Life of the Church

Abstract

Since 1989, the participation of Poles in religious rites, such as Sunday Mass, has been declining. There has also been a decline in religious vocations, alongside a steady attenuation, beginning even before 1989, of acceptance of the Church’s various doctrines and norms, especially among the younger generation. To some extent, this may be traced to the fact that, with the re-emergence of pluralism, the Church lost its special position as the only legal institution offering an alternative worldview to that of the regime and constituting even an opposition of a sort. But the Church has, itself, contributed to its own decline in influence as a result of a number of controversies. The Church’s very success in advancing its agenda in the years 1989–1997 alienated some people and contributed to the polarization of Polish society. A second factor damaging to the Church was the controversy stirred up by revelations that at least 10% (a figure admitted by the Polish episcopate) of Catholic clergy had served as informants for the secret police during the communist era, including several bishops. Third, where the restitution of property confiscated by the communists was concerned, there were allegations that the Church was receiving more than it had lost to begin with, and that the restitution process itself was marred by corruption. And fourth, the scandal surrounding the sex abuse of young persons by Catholic clergy not only in the USA and Germany but also in Poland itself, together with the Vatican’s blundering efforts to hush up various cases, likewise damaged the prestige of the Church. In addition, Fr. Tadeusz Rydzyk’s Radio Maryja, operating outside the control of the Primate’s office, has served to divide and polarize the Catholic community in Poland.