The State of Polish Catholicism

With the dominant influence of the anti-religious USSR in strongly Catholic Poland, conflicts over religious (and by extension, national) identity were prominent in the late Soviet era, as the Soviet Union attempted to exert political control over Warsaw Pact countries. Moreover, Pope John Paul II, a Polish priest who became pope in the late 1970s, became a key figure on the world stage that represented Polish Catholicism. This contrasted greatly with Soviet policy that tried to unify and Russify all the Soviet satellite states while removing religious identity. Ultimately, Polish national identity (in terms of Catholicism/religious identity) was curbed but not eradicated during the 1970s, and then gained massive promimence in the 1980s owing to John Paul II's election. Given the broader historical trend of Russia attempting to unify satellite states and remove national/ethnic identities in favor of the Great Russian identity, as well as historical Polish resistance to these moves, this topic shows a particular case study within the course themes of multiculturalism and nationality policy.

“The Church in Poland and its Political Influence” by Suzanne Hruby, 1982-83

i. This article discusses the dormant, but slowly increasing, power of the Catholic Church in the Polish People’s Republic that gradually emerged during the late 1970s and early 1980s. This article therefore functions as academic backing for the increased acceptability of Catholic identity in Poland around the election of John Paul II.

"Between and Brown and the Red: Nationalism, Catholicism, and Communism in Twentieth-Century Poland” by Mikolaj Stanislaw Kunicki, 2012

i. This book has a specific chapter covering Catholic history in Poland from 1970-79. With its emphasis on Boleslaw Piasecki, the leader of the "PAX" Polish-Catholic resistance movement, the chapter ultimately demonstrates how Polish-Catholic national identity strengthened in the late Soviet era.

“Poland Today: The State of the Republic” by the Experience and the Future Discussion Group, 1981

i. With a particular focus on Chapter 3, “The State of Society and Public Consciousness”, this compilation of academic discussions covers the overall state of the Polish state and society in the late 1970s. By emphasizing the overall society and the Soviet influence on Poland post-World War II, this chapter demonstrates how the Soviet authorities attempted to diminish Polish national identity, making it go underground and only acknowledged privately.

“Modern Marriage and the Culture of Sexuality: Experts between the State and the Church in Poland, 1956-1970”, Natalia Jarska, 2019

i. Though the details of this article are irrelevant to this particular project (sexuality policy is not inherently Polish Catholic identity), its themes do demonstrate the role of the Soviet government in coopting the Polish Catholic church. Focusing on the earlier period of the research question, it establishes the weak point of Polish Catholic identity, suffering under the Soviet government’s attempt to use Christianity’s more conservative leanings to further oppress the Polish people.

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