Roman Catholicism in Poland

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ever since Poland officially adopted Latin Christianity in 966, the Roman Catholic Church has played a very important religious, cultural, social and political role. Today, Poland is arguably the most religious country in the world outside of Latin America and Africa.

For centuries, Poland has been a predominantly Roman Catholic country, and for most Poles identity is a unique combination of national and religious beliefs. During the times of foreign oppression, the Catholic Church remained for many Poles the primary source of moral values and the last bulwark in the fight for independence and national survival. The establishment of communist power had little effect on religious practices and feelings of most Poles. The communist authorities did not manage to subjugate the Catholic Church, which preserved its autonomy, became the most powerful independent Polish national organization, and in the 1970's assumed the role as mediator between the regime and the rebellious population. The 1978 election of Cardinal Karol Wojtyla as Pope John Paul II contributed greatly to the fall of communism in Poland and all over the world.

According to the office of Polish statistics, 37,609,000 persons, about 96 percent of the entire population of Poland, belonged to the Roman Catholic Church in 2000. Over 80 percent of them declare that they attend mass regularly. The remaining 1 million non-Roman Catholic Poles profess no religion or belong to over forty other denominations.

[edit] Hierarchy

Archdiocese
- Diocese

Latin names of dioceses in italics.

Białystok, Bialostocensis (1)
- Drohiczyn, Drohiczinensis (2)
- Łomża, Lomzensis (3)
Cracow, Cracoviensis (4)
- Bielsko-Biała – Żywiec, Bielscensis-Zyviecensis (5)
- Kielce, Kielcensis (6)
- Tarnów, Tarnoviensis (7)
Częstochowa, Czestochoviensis (8)
- Radom, Radomensis (9)
- Sosnowiec, Sosnoviensis (10)
Gdańsk, Gedanensis (11)
- Pelplin, Pelplinensis (12)
- Toruń, Thoruniensis (13)
Gniezno, Gnesnensis (14)
- Bydgoszcz, Bydgostiensis (15)
- Włocławek, Vladislaviensis (16)
Katowice, Katovicensis (17)
- Gliwice, Glivicensis (18)
- Opole, Opoliensis (19)
Łódź, Lodziensis (20)
- Łowicz, Lovicensis (21)
Lublin, Lublinensis (22)
- Sandomierz, Sandomiriensis (23)
- Siedlce, Siedlecensis (24)
Poznań, Posnaniensis (25)
- Kalisz, Calissiensis (26)
Przemyśl, Premisliensis (27)
- Rzeszów, Rzeszoviensis (28)
- Zamość – Lubaczów, Zamosciensis-Lubaczoviensis (29)
Szczecin – Kamień Pomorski, Sedinensis-Caminensis (30)
- Koszalin – Kołobrzeg, Coslinensis-Colubreganus (31)
- Zielona Góra – Gorzów Wielkopolski, Viridimontanensis-Gorzoviensis (32)
Varmia (Olsztyn), Varmiensis (33)
- Elbląg, Elbingensis (34)
- Ełk, Liccanensis (35)
Warsaw, Varsaviensis (36)
- Płock, Plocensis (37)
- Warsaw – Praga, Varsaviensis-Pragensis (38)
Wrocław, Vratislaviensis (39)
- Legnica, Legnicensis (40)
- Świdnica, Suidniciensis (41)

[edit] References

Frucht, Richard. Eastern Europe: An Introduction to the People, Lands, and Culture. Volume 1. ABD-CLIO inc. Santa Barbara, Ca.

[edit] See also

v • d • e

Roman Catholicism in Europe

Albania · Andorra · Armenia² · Austria · Azerbaijan⁴ · Belarus · Belgium · Bosnia and Herzegovina · Bulgaria · Croatia · Cyprus² · Czech Republic · Denmark · Estonia · Finland · France · Georgia⁴ · Germany · Greece · Hungary · Iceland · Ireland · Italy · Kazakhstan¹ · Latvia · Liechtenstein · Lithuania · Luxembourg · Republic of Macedonia · Malta · Moldova · Monaco · Montenegro · Netherlands · Norway · Poland · Portugal · Romania · Russia¹ · San Marino · Serbia · Slovakia · Slovenia · Spain · Sweden · Switzerland · Turkey¹ · Ukraine · United Kingdom · Vatican City

Dependencies, autonomies and other territories
Abkhazia⁴ · Adjara² · Åland · Azores · Akrotiri and Dhekelia · Crimea · Faroe Islands · Gibraltar · Guernsey · Isle of Man · Jersey · Kosovo · Madeira · Nagorno-Karabakh² · Nakhichevan² · Transnistria · Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus^2, 3

¹ Has significant territory in Asia. ² Entirely in West Asia, but considered European for cultural, political and historical reasons. ³ Only recognised by Turkey. ⁴ Partially or entirely in Asia, depending on the definition of the border between Europe and Asia.