(ZENIT News / Warsaw, 19.04.2025).- A recent study shows that half of the Catholic priests in Poland say they have suffered some kind of aggression over the last year. The causes seem to lie in the deterioration of the image of the priesthood promoted by the social media and the tense environment in the society and in politics.
Poland has a population of 41 million, 92% of whom are Catholic. The Catholic Church Statistics Institute (ISKK) is a self-funded scientific center based in Poland, which conducts research in the field of religiosity, Catholicism, and its social contexts. It is supported solely by its activity to ensure independence. In a recent report, it found that one in two diocesan priests in Poland has been the victim of an assault in the past year.
The report «Dangerous Mission? Attacks Against Consecrated Persons, Places and Objects of Worship in Poland,» was presented on April 3 at the headquarters of the Polish Bishops’ Conference in Warsaw. The majority of cases involve mockery, threats, and insults. A third of the clergy reported receiving attacks online.
The study was conducted through a digital survey between October and November 2024. 966 priests responded. 614 completed the questionnaire. In addition to personal attacks, attacks on churches, vandalism, desecration of tombs, and disruption of religious celebrations were also reported.
The majority, 80.8%, did not report the attacks because they considered the incidents to be minor and to avoid formalities. 14.6% of those surveyed expressed a lack of trust in the Authorities. They also noted that insecurity decreases when they wear clerical insignia. 85.9% feel that violence against priests has increased in the last decade.
ISKK Director Dr. Marcin Jewdokimow noted that the study was motivated by the «disproportion between the clergy’s everyday experiences and their limited presence in the media.» He emphasized that «news reports are just the tip of the iceberg of a growing social problem, affecting both consecrated persons and religious spaces and objects.»
Jewdokimow reported that the study addressed four aspects: 1) the various forms of violence experienced, 2) the reactions of the clergy, 3) the feeling of insecurity in their pastoral work, and 4) the causes and evolution of attacks on diocesan priests. The study will continue in upcoming phases, with the goal of establishing ongoing monitoring of the phenomenon.
Professor Krzysztof Kosela, President of the ISKK Scientific Council, believes that, like journalists, priests have been a risk group since 2020. He sees as the key factors behind the poor image of the clergy, the conflict between Christianity and liberalism, and the errors made by the priests themselves.
The spokesman for the Polish Bishops’ Conference, Father Leszek Gęsiak, SJ, described the results as disturbing and called for solidarity among the faithful with their priests: «It is important for priests to know that they are not alone, that there are people who rejoice with them in good times and support them in the bad, especially when they face such hostile situations as those reflected in this report.»
