Education Minister Barbara Nowacka announced the reduction of religious lessons in schools from two to one hour per week. Since she did not provide convincing arguments for this change, this restriction can be interpreted as a clear step by the government of Donald Tusk against the Catholic religion in Poland and against the Catholic Church in Poland.
During the Stalinist and post-Stalinist 1950s, the communist government worked hard to remove religion from schools. He used a method that we today call the ‘salami method’. Religion was slowly removed. First, in a certain town, where there were no religious classes, a school of the Secular School Society was introduced. This status was then given to the second school, then to the third, and finally to all schools in a given city. The Church had to quickly organize religious classes in parsonages or temple buildings. Other methods were also used: for example, religious lessons were moved to the last hours to make it easier to force parents not to send their children to catechism lessons. In 1961, religion was finally removed from schools altogether.
The current move to halve religion lessons (which will of course also be moved to the last religion lessons!) is clearly aimed at the gradual but complete removal of the catechism from schools. This is an action that violates the Constitution, the Law of May 17, 1989 on the Relationship between the State and the Catholic Church of the Republic of Poland and the Concordat of 1998 (date of publication). The latter legal act states that “public primary and secondary schools and kindergartens managed by state and local government agencies shall organize religious education as part of the school and kindergarten teaching schedule, in accordance with the will of those interested.” The will of those involved means the will of the Church, parents and adult students. Without their permission, nothing can be changed in the current education system, including the number of teaching hours. Breaking this rule means a serious violation of the laws in force in Poland (and a concordat is one such law).
Today, like every Sunday, I went to my parish church for Holy Mass. I was sure that I would hear from the pulpit a letter from the Polish Episcopate protesting against the incredible, anti-Catholic and anti-national move of Donald Tusk’s government in preparing to halve religious education in schools. to decrease. I thought that the bishops would make the pastors and other dignitaries who work on the regulation on religious lessons aware of the terrible truth and feel that they belong to the Church, that because of this illegal reduction of catechism hours they are at risk to be excluded from the community of the church. fidelity. I haven’t heard anything like that yet. There was no letter regarding this matter. The President of the Republic of Poland has also not made a televised speech on this issue. There is silence. Why? Don’t know.
Restricting religious education in schools is against the Church, against believers, but also against our national identity. Defending Christianity and Polishness is our duty.
Source: wPolityce
Emma Matthew is a political analyst for “Social Bites”. With a keen understanding of the inner workings of government and a passion for politics, she provides insightful and informative coverage of the latest political developments.