Big decline of Catholic religion in Poland

True Iwona.......but the one bad example is always quoted, highlighted, pounced on...but these cases are just others in a long line of abuse of adherents in the Catholic church for centuries............

So whether it was save your soul for 100zlotys, or priest chasing after women, physical abuse, sexual abuse, selling out.....to your political masters etc.....

Its a very sorry sight!

My cousin who is a retired priest conducts a Polish language mass at a parish in Bay City, Michigan. He has good attendance for that so the Polish in America are still keeping the faith. I'll have to ask him about the scoop on Poland, as he alternates vacations between Poland and Rome each year. He was in Rome this fall so this is the year for the Poland visit. He has been bringing tourists with him from the Diocese of Saginaw the last few years and serves as their guide, which helps pay for his trip.

Few facts that need to be clarified here. I don't know how the situation looks in other catholic countries, but here in Poland people tend to see the division between faith and church (apart maybe from the elderly listeners of Radio Maryja). In fact, if you want to start a conversation with a pole and don't know how to ignite it, there are two universal topics that will do just fine. First one is "All politicians are filthy liars and thieves' and the second one is "All priests are filthy liars and thieves". I don't think that this recent incident will have an effect on the faith of polish people.

As for the initial question about the big decline of catholic religion I think big is not a very suitable word. Churches are still crowded. I think that you just received a wrong impression from this board. I guess that one day the situation will look like in the UK, as just like bartolome said Catholicism is less attractive than the western way of life, but it still is a long way to go before us.

I'm wondering how the recent revealation that high ranking Polish clergy as well as common priests conspired with the communists will affect the church and it's people in Poland?

i would imagine that for many people this will come as no suprise...

I am just repeating what the media say. I didn't say that he did anything wrong since I don't know. However, from my and my people experiance it highly likely that he did.
I personally don't care and i believe that he was suitable for his post, due to his experiance. Don't you agree that before he becomes the head of the Polish church he should be cleared from all allegations? Polish church is very strong, probably one of the strongest in the in Europe and very influancial. So, time will tell
I am just bringing fresh news, the outsider's outlook since I returned from there yesterday

Warsaw, Poland January 8, 2007

In a major embarrassment for the Vatican and Poland's Catholic Church, the newly appointed Archbishop of Warsaw resigned on Sunday after he admitted spying for Poland's hated communist secret police (SB).

Stanislaw Wielgus, 67, read out his resignation, which came at the request of Pope Benedict who appointed him just a month ago, at a special Sunday mass in Warsaw.

"In accordance with (Canon law) I submit to your Holiness my resignation as the Metropolitan Archbishop of Warsaw," Wielgus said.

Full Story

The church is in the business of forgiving and forgetting unlike the media, are we now going to have a witch hunt of who's who in poland. If we do lets start with the old party members who now continue to enjoy good times in the capitalist system.
I must admit that the communist days tested a lot of people, please also remember the patriotic priest a specific group of priests who supported the party.

From the limited exposure in oz over this incident, people here cannot understand why this man wasn't forgiven in other words practice was you preach.
Its very easy to throw mud at someone.

lef mate... with all due respect... the church neither forgives nor forgets....

Yup...you put yourself up a pedestal....expect the mud treatment and the to incur the wrath of the baying masses who've been lied to and conned....after all thats their role ...not Gods representative on earth...

As for the miscreants who always take the easy option...who tug the forelock....who have less spine than your regular jelly fish...who climb the system at the direct cost of others.....well.......as usual...am disgusted......

Sure...am all for naming names unless they have a confess and reconciliaton system put in place....as in S Africa.

I'm not a spokesperson of the church, but poland is the catholic church, I know that is changing, I don't like a few things of the polish church and that is that they always have there hand out for money give give give. its a payment for service church. and I think the church members live very well thank you very much! (you can tell by the cars/homes and stomach)

Ps.. you forgot to give me the selling points for a person interested in visiting poland?(another post)

yeah mate... started thinking about that and then got sidetracked...

i do rememeber thinking that it warrented its own thread... perhaps you would like to lead the way...

gee frank, I'm glad when I die, you won't be my judge.



I love slang etc,, but haven't heard those words before?

forelock is your hair at the front of the head... gentlemen used to doff their cap/hat to ladies or those better than them... peasents didnt have hats so would tug their forelock... its a sign of respect... of sorts... similar now to the expression cowtow...

geez... must be more pissed than i thought... re-read that and it made very little sense... probably still doesnt

Lef..the difference is that you've haven't put yourself up there as someone whose holier than thou.....berating their flocks, the wrath of god, hell just around the corner...etc....

The old......do as I say...not do as I do.............fair dinkum as the say in the land of cricketing gods...

Thanks for th international translation Bubb...must still be a lot of the old tugging going on in your part of the world....lol

yup... keep the peasent scum in their place... thats what i say....!!!

your not fair dinkum are you.lol

If your not sure of some aussue slang, try this link,

koalanet.com.au/australian-slang.html

Naw...not all...just thought..........I'd try some fellow ex-colonial bonding sorta thingy stuff.....

tie me kangaroo down sport...

... shag a walaby...

... as the great bearded one used to sing....

Do you f**k on first dates................

As the even greater bearded one still sings to this very day!!!!!

Way...notso.......coolio...who invited you to this 3 way party...huh?








lol

hahaha - I just thought I'd pip in, seeing as there is nothing much else going on here!!!!

he da man... closely followed by kevin bloody wilson... DILLIGAF...!!

LOL

that would be too simple, things get complicated sometimes....

Yeah, people make things very complicated.

Miranda why arn't you in bed or responding to your trip in Poland.

Did I read that post right, or did someone say that Mother Theresa was a wholly good person doing good things?
Eeeek !!
A bit behind the times methinks, as her outfit in Calcutta (what on Earth is Calcutta called nowadays?) has been denounced for inhuman procedures - her performance was better than nothing, but fell far below anything a normal modern Westerner would describe as acceptable.

What do you mean?

excuse me. I am not a little girl who needs repremending or being sent to bed, ha, ha...