Evolution of attitudes of young people in Poland towards religion and the Catholic Church in the 21st century in the context of the changes in religiousness of Polish society

Abstract

The role and place of the Catholic Church and religion in Polish society in the 21st century are changing, both at the level of individual and community life. These changes are significantly influenced by processes of a global nature as well as those specific to Poland. Secularisation, privatisation of faith, deinstitutionalisation of religion, selectivity in the observance of the precepts of faith proceeds in an uneven manner, with different dynamics in different areas of social life. Studies of the religiosity of young people are often identified as a kind of barometer of the changes taking place in society as a whole and a good basis for forecasting possible changes in the future. Based on research results, it can be concluded that symptoms of acceleration of all processes previously diagnosed in European societies are already visible in Polish society. The noticeable weakening of religiosity in Europe and the related mechanism of decreasing participation in religious practices is also noted in Poland, especially in the area of religious practices. In the context of the evolution of attitudes of young people in Poland, it can be concluded that the trend of secularisation and the abandonment of religious practices in youth circles are of a significantly more profound nature and happens at a highly accelerated rate. It should also be noted that the drop in participation in religious practices recorded in this group in recent studies was described as one of the most radical in history, so it should be assumed that it is rather difficult to expect a reversal of these trends in the nearest future.