Catholic Traditionalism in Poland: Some Current Trends (2024)
This article reviews the issues related to the contemporary Catholic traditionalist movement, with a focus on its Polish branch and noticeable trends within it. Traditionalism emerged in the second half of the 20th century in reaction to the transformative processes within Catholicism associated with the Second Vatican Council. A comprehensive reform of Catholic liturgy, conducted between 1964 and 1975, played a particularly significant role in its spread. In Poland, it became noticeable only after the regime change in 1989, both in the form defined by the Apostolic See’s indults of the 1980s and in a more radical form associated with the Society of St. Pius X. The broader development of Polish traditionalist movement began following the issuance of Pope Benedict XVI’s document Summorum Pontificum (2007), which equalized the pre- and post-conciliar liturgies. The primary factors defining the current dynamics of Polish traditionalism are the style and course of Pope Francis’s pontificate, including primarily his abrogation of the liturgical rights introduced by his predecessor, as well as certain aspects of the Polish Church’s actions in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic. Generally, within the Polish Catholic community, there is a noticeable simultaneous increase in the popularity of this model of faith experience, but also tensions in relations with the more liberally inclined part of the hierarchy and faithful. However, within the traditionalist faction itself, there are visible tendencies towards radicalization of attitudes, linked to an increasing critical approach towards ecclesiastical authorities and the overall reality of the post-conciliar Church.
Keywords: nauki o kulturze i religii