Stosunek Kościoła katolickiego do ruchów religijnych w górnośląskiej części województwa śląskiego (1922—1939)
The Attitude of the Catholic Church Towards Religious Movements in the Upper Silesian Region of Silesia (1922—1939)

Summary/Abstract: The following article aims at showcasing the changes in the attitude of the Catholic Church towardsvarious sects against the backdrop of the transformations in the Polish Upper Silesia. Accordingto the Catholic Church, the existence of various sects contributed to the further destabilization of theworld, already shaken by the events of World War I, and broke social order as well religious unity. Forthese reasons, apart from the obvious differences in dogma, the Church in the Polish Upper Silesiastrongly opposed sectarian movements. The most effective way to counteract these perceived issueswas, according to the Church, to discredit the sectarians in the eyes of the Catholic public. For thatreason, the Catholic press published reports showing the devastating impact of sects on family life,vocational success or even personal happiness. However, in seeking help from the state, the Churchhad put itself in a precarious position, since the Church’s stance against the tolerant religious attitudesof the Second Polish Republic could have been perceived as nostalgia for the Prussian timesand thus anti-patriotic. The principled position of the Catholic Church, as well as a desire to excludeother sects and the members of religious minorities from the Catholic ecclesiastical authority, createda precedent that promoted religious — and, in consequence, also social — intolerance. The right toa monopoly on spreading their ideology was a source of tension; however, that did not stop the processof social integration.

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