Abstract
Religion and politics in Poland (1945-1984), Krzysztof Pomian Although the Polish Worker's Party (PWP) still claims its devotion to marxist-leninist ideology, it proclaims, unlike the USSR, its indefectible attachment to the principle of religious freedom. But Church-state relations have not always been smooth since 1945 : they were peaceful only for three brief periods, from 1944 to 1948, from 1956 to 1958, and since 1978. While the state accepts the individual religious practice, it condemns " militant clericalism ". The definition of this expression is a source of conflict. What criteria can be used to draw the line between religious intolerance and the exercise of pastoral activities ? The limit of the PWP's concessions to the church does not go beyond the conducting of liturgical ceremonies and the teaching of church doctrine, provided no allusion is made to the modem daily life of church-goers. From this point of view, Father Popie-luszko's assassination may be seen as the ultimate result of the tendency to fight " political clericalism " and to equate certain priests with counter-revolutionary militants. This explains the force of contestation that the Catholic church can represent and direct within contemporary Polish society.
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