Religious statistics in Poland. Legal status, problems, challenges

ABSTRACT

Statistical research on religious denominations in Poland is limited, on the one hand, by regulations resulting from the implementation of religious rights and freedoms, and on the other hand, by the methodology adopted and used for years, which does not guarantee obtaining reliable data. In the event of a positive decision on registration, the state’s control over a given church or religious association ends. The knowledge gaps are therefore enormous. For example, we do not know the real number of legally operating churches and religious associations in Poland or the number of followers of many of them. This article contains an analysis of the currently adopted legal solutions, methods of conducting statistical research and the most important methodological problems. In conclusion, the author offers solutions aimed at improving religious statistics in Poland. The primary goal is to develop a new research approach that takes into account past gaps and errors.

KEYWORDS:

• Poland
• religious statistics
• religious structure
• methodology
• legal status

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. These are: The Catholic Church [Kościół katolicki], The Polish Autocephalous Orthodox Church [Polski Autokefaliczny Kościół Prawosławny], The Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Poland [Kościół Ewangelicko-Augsburski w Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej], The Evangelical Reformed Church in the Republic of Poland [Kościół Ewangelicko-Reformowany w Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej], The United Methodist Church in the Republic of Poland [Kościół Ewangelicko-Metodystyczny w Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej], The Polish Catholic Church in the Republic of Poland [Kościół Polskokatolicki w Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej], The Seventh-day Adventist Church in Poland [Kościół Adwentystów Dnia Siódmego w Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej], The Baptist Union in Poland [Kościół Chrześcijan Baptystów w Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej], The Mariavite Old Catholic Church [Kościół Starokatolicki Mariawitów w Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej], The Catholic Mariavite Church in the Republic of Poland [Kościół Katolicki Mariawitów w Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej], The Pentecostal Church in the Republic of Poland [Kościół Zielonoświątkowy w Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej], The Union of Jewish Religious Communities in the Republic of Poland [Związek Gmin Wyznaniowych Żydowskich w Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej], The Eastern Old Belief Church [Wschodni Kościół Staroobrzędowy], The Muslim Religious Union in the Republic of Poland [Muzułmański Związek Religijny w Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej] and The Karaims Religious Union in the Republic of Poland [Karaimski Związek Religijny w Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej].

2. https://www.gov.pl/web/mswia/rejestr-kosciolow-i-innych-zwiazkow-wyznaniowych [access: 01/02/2022].

3. Cf. Articles 31 and 32 of the Act on Guarantees of Freedom of Conscience and Religion (Journal of Laws of 2017, item 1153).

4. Until 1998, only fifteen citizens were required. This number was increased to one hundred under the amendment to the Act on Guarantees of Freedom of Conscience and Religion.

5. The current changes taking place both in Polish society and in the Roman Catholic Church itself, combined with the emerging information that the hierarchs of the majority church cover up crimes committed by clergymen, mean that a dynamic decline in the number of Roman Catholic believers should be expected.

6. In 1997 the Union of Bible Students passed a resolution to join the Bible Students Association. It was not removed from the Register of Churches and Religious Associations of MSWiA.

7. In 2009 it joined the Christian Baptist Church. It became a congregation of the Christian Baptist Church. It was not removed from the Register of Churches and Religious Associations of MSWiA.

8. The church became a part of the Pentecostal Church. It was not removed from the Register of Churches and Religious Associations of MSWiA.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Sławomir Romański-Cebula

Sławomir Romański-Cebula, researcher. His research focuses on the intersection of the sociology of religion and law. For years, he has been involved with religious minorities in Poland and religious rights and freedoms.