THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH AND DEMOCRACY IN POLAND
In: The Pacific review, Band 50, Heft 5, S. 817-842
ISSN: 0951-2748
THE TRANSITION PROCESS TO DEMOCRACY AND A MARKET ECONOMY IN POLAND IS BEING DRIVEN AND SHAPED BY A VARIETY OF IMPORTANT FORCES, BUT PARTICULARLY BY THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH. THIS ARTICLE PROVIDES AN OVERVIEW OF THE CHURCH-STATE SITUATION IN POLAND, FOCUSING SPECIFICALLY ON THE ROLE OF THE CHURCH IN POST-COMMUNIST POLITICS AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS. THE NATURE OF CHURCH-STATE RELATIONS UNDER COMMUNISM IS SUMMARIZED AND THEN THE CHURCH'S ENGAGEMENT IN POST-COMMUNIST POLITICS AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS IS LOOKED AT. THE POST-COMMUNIST ATTEMPTS TO OFFICIALLY DEFINE THE STATUS OF THE CHURCH IN POLISH SOCIETY AND ESTABLISH A NEW BASIS FOR CHURCH-STATE RELATIONS ARE DISCUSSED.