The Moral Dimension of the Religiosity of Poles in an Era of Systemic Change

This article discusses specific statistical indicators of the moral dimension of the religiosity of contemporary Poles. Survey results show that, although the majority of respondents (59%) favor the need to ascribe to moral principles, they are willing to compromise their principles in certain circumstances. Nearly half (48%) of the respondents claimed to be guided by their own consciences and rejected the need to substantiate their morals via religion. Seventy-onepercent of the respondents believed that Catholic moral principles are legitimate, but not all of the respondents agreed on which principles. With regard to the specific norms of Catholic teaching on marriage and family ethics, very few respondents agreed with the Church’s teaching against pre-marital sexual relations and the use of birth control, while more respondents respected the Church’s teaching on the value of marital fidelity, the permanence of marriage, and respect for life conceived in the womb. Taken together, these statistics reveal that contemporary social changes have deepened the already-existing gap between the daily practice of religion and morality in Poland.