Religious practices and commitment of Poles in the pandemic society – a sociological analysis

Abstract

The article presents findings from Polish nationwide public opinion surveys and sociological studies conducted between the years 2020 and 2023, concerning the religious practices and commitment of Poles, covering youth and adult populations (Sunday Mass, confession, individual prayer). The main hypothesis of this discussion is the thesis that the religiosity of Poles in the pandemic society has declined, whereas in the post-pandemic society, it has not reached the level it had before the pandemic, that is, at the end of the second decade of the 21st century. In the first phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, there was neither a significant increase in religiosity nor a considerable decline. In the later phase of the pandemic, it is likely that an acceleration of secularisation processes in the Polish society took place. As a consequence of these processes, the rate of regular Sunday practices decreased from 51% to 38% between 2018 and 2022 (a difference of 13%). Creeping secularization is becoming accelerated, possibly becoming more rapid in the future. This process of change affects general religious affiliation to a lesser extent, and it is more pronounced in the context of obligatory and optional religious practices, and bonds with the parish.