Catholic Church and Polish Catholics in Exile After World War II: From Worship to Political Engagement

• In Event: Church and Migrations in East-Central Europe in 20th Century

Abstract

During the World War II many Polish Catholics emigrated to the Western countries, and decided to stay there after 1945 as a part of bigger Central European migration flow. As the reaction to this the new structures of parishes and Church administration have been created to organize worship and to regulate religious affairs. But the new structures played also very important social, cultural, and even political role. This contribution will examine the emergence of the phenomenon, the unique structures which have been created, the roles they played in exile as well as their meaning for the Catholicism in Communist Poland.

Author

• Sławomir Lukasiewicz, John Paul II Catholic U of Lublin (Poland)