IV Rzeczpospolita - w kierunku państwa wyznaniowego?

• Autorzy: Tomasz Początek

Warianty tytułu

The Fourth Republic of Poland - a Secular or Faith-based State?

• Języki publikacji: PL

Abstrakty

W artykule scharakteryzowano dwie wersje państwa wyznaniowego: tradycyjną, zwaną wyznaniowością zamkniętą i zmodernizowaną, zwaną konfesyjnością otwartą. Omówiono kierunki stosunków Kościół-państwo oraz rolę koncepcji księdza prymasa S. Wyszyńskiego w polskiej teologii politycznej. Na koniec spróbowano udzielić odpowiedzi na pytanie czy IV RP ma charakter państwa świeckiego czy wyznaniowego.

EN

To unpack the question of whether Poland's Fourth Republic is secular or faith-based one must first define the rules used by secular or faith-based countries. A secular country is one that is neutral as far as religion is concerned. On the other hand, faith-based countries are ones in which religion is a leading force in politics and public life as well. There are many countries in the world where religion influences politics to a greater or lesser extent. The Polish constitution says nothing about the separation of church and state. Religion is present in the everyday lives of many people in Poland but it becomes a problem when it enters public life and the state begins to divide people into the categories of better (Catholics) and worse (the rest). This nonetheless occurred after the presidential and parliamentary elections in 2005. Since then, the winning party has been supporting the Catholic Church. By supporting Radio Maryja (a Catholic radio station) and the Trwam Television station, the governing party will be supported in the next election. Such behaviour leads to changes in which the basic character of the secular state is violated. What is more, the Polish government has broken with neutrality and now emphasises religion in public life. There is also a problem for young people in Polish schools, where those who are not Catholics or choose not to attend religion classes are forced to wait in hallways with caretakers. The presence of religion in public life is one condition that makes a state faith-based. Another is using public funds to finance the Church, as when Catholic University of Lublin (KUL) or Papal Technological Academy and other institutions are financed by the government or government-run companies. To sum up, while the Fourth Republic of Poland is not a faith-based state, it is not a model example of a secular one, either. The notion of a faith-based state has never been exactly defined, which is why there are so many different opinions on this subject. Moreover, there are countries whose dominant religion exerts varying levels of influence on public life. Since 1989, Poland has become more and more faith-oriented by passing bills like the anti-abortion act or warrants of respect for Christian values in education and the media. Financing by government institutions that belong to the Church in the form of tax breaks and customs privileges or even violation of the law all show that the so-called Fourth Republic of Poland is on a dangerous road, one which may well lead to an alliance between "the throne and the altar". (original abstract)

Słowa kluczowe

PL

Państwo; Polityka wyznaniowa; Religia

EN

State; Religious policy; Religion

• Czasopismo: Studia i Prace Uniwersytetu Ekonomicznego w Krakowie
• Rocznik: 2010
• Numer: nr 9
• Strony: 115--123

Twórcy

autor

Tomasz Początek

Bibliografia

• Bartnik C., Chrześcijańska nauka o narodzie według prymasa Stefana Wyszyńskiego, Lublin 1982.
• Bartnik C., Problem "teologii politycznej, "Więź" 1977, nr 12.
• Godlewski J.F., Katolicka myśl kościelna o prawie i państwie, Warszawa 1985.
• Konstytucja duszpasterska o Kościele w świecie współczesnym [w:] Sobór Watykański II. Konstytucje. Dekrety. Deklaracje, Poznań 1967.
• Krukowski J., Kościół i Państwo. Podstawy relacji prawnych, Lublin 2000.
• Machalica B., Rządy w cieniu biskupów, "Przegląd" 2007, nr 49.
• Pietrzak M., Demokratyczne świeckie państwo prawne, Warszawa 1999.
• Pietrzak M., Zasady ustrojowe państwa świeckiego, "Myśl Socjaldemokratyczna" 2007, nr 1.
• Ustawa z 17 maja 1989 r. o gwarancjach wolności sumienia i wyznania (Dz.U. nr 29. poz. 155).
• Ustawa z 2 kwietnia 1997 r. Konstytucja Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej (Dz.U. nr 78, poz. 483).
• Wyszyński S., Naród - Kościół- Państwo, "Wieź" 1981, nr 6.