One of the first things visitors to Poland hear is that Poland is a Catholic country. Poles love their Pope, and they love the Catholic Church. But how much of this stereotype actually holds true in Polish society in 2009?One group wants to show that Polish religious life is not as uniform as the guide books report.
The group Młodzi Wolnomyśliciele (unofficially translated as “Young Freethinkers”), in partnership with the Polish Society of Rationalists (Polskie Stowarzyszenie Racjonalistów), is the organiser of the first ever Atheists and Agnostics March (Marszu Ateistów i Agnostyków, or MAiA) not only in Poland, but in all of Europe.
The march will take place this Saturday, 10 October, and will run from 2 pm starting at Collegium Novum (ul. Gołębia 24), through the Market Square, and finally finishing at the statue of Tadeusz Boy-Żeleński in the Planty.
Boy-Żeleński was a famous Polish writer, critic, translator, and enfant terrible of the Polish literary scene in the first half of the 20th century - and an atheist.
But undoubtedly the biggest question facing the organisers is “Why have a march for atheists and agnostics?”
“We want to show that there are non-believers living in Poland,” Ewelina Podsiad, the chief organiser of the march, told the Krakow Post.
According to the MAiA website, the non-theist minority needs to be recognised because “in a situation when a minority is not visible, it is easy to discriminate against it, to exclude its interests and rights, especially in the crucial area of legislation”.
I asked Ms. Podsiad how many non-theists actually live in Poland, and she explained that there are no reliable statistics. The official figure is four percent; however, that four percent entails only those people who are either excommunicated or officially leave the Catholic Church and sign a register stating that they are doing so. But many who leave the church simply stop going, and the data on those people has yet to be collected in Poland.
However, to be recognised in official statistics is not the main goal of MAiA; rather, it is to introduce legislation that will curb discrimination of non-believers. Ms. Podsiad explained that in Poland, “many people are afraid to admit that they are non-believers,” and cited scores of letters she has received from those who “came out” to their families or co-workers and were ostracised afterwards. One of the greatest obstacles facing non-theists is in the Polish school system, she explained. While on paper religious education is no longer mandatory in Polish public schools, children who opt out of religious classes, particularly in schools outside of the major cities, are often ridiculed and teased by their classmates. Similarly, patients in Polish hospitals who decline to receive visits from local clergy may face discrimination from both hospital staff and other patients.
The march’s organisers want to show Polish society that there are non-believers amongst them, and argue that the country’s legislation should reflect this. Ms. Podsiad also explained that it’s important for non-believers to realise that they are not alone. Around 300 participants are expected at the march tomorrow afternoon. While Ms. Podsiad does not expect trouble from religious or extremist groups, MAiA has nonetheless applied for police protection to ensure the safety of the marchers.
Perhaps the question left to ask is “Why Krakow?” With the exception of Częstochowa, no city is holier for the followers of Pope John Paul II than Krakow. In fact, when the Young Freethinkers were discussing the possibility of a covering a tram with their banner, similarly to the London-based “There is probably no God” campaign, religious groups protested immediately when it was disclosed that the number eight tram would be used; that tram passes by the famous building on ul. Franciszkańska where John Paul II lived as archbishop of Krakow. However, the decision to host the first march here was a practical one rather than an ideological one: “[Krakow] is where we are based, and it seemed absurd to do this somewhere else,” explained Ms. Podsiad.
The march is also accompanied by a film screening Friday evening at 8 pm, showing the Czech film Ježíš je normální! (Jesus is Normal!) at the Mikro Cinema, as well as a discussion on Saturday at 6 pm in Pod Jaszczurami Club, which will attempt to answer the question, “Can non-believers love their neighbours?”.
For more information on the events, please visit the official MAiA website (in Polish).
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