Religious vote in presidential election bodes ill for Polish Church

‘The political use or misuse of religious rhetoric and symbolism does not seem to bother either the religious voters or those indifferent to religion.’

The role of religious voters in determining Poland’s closely-fought presidential election had striking parallels with American politics, according to a Krakow-based sociologist.

Dr Katarzyna Korzeniewska, who studies Church and state relations in Poland, said the emotional charge of the election – ultimately determined by a margin of two percentage points – was key to the victory of Karol Nawrocki, allowing him to overcome claims that he acquired his fortune by dubious means and liaised with the criminal underworld throughout his youth, besides allegations about his personal morality and marital fidelity.

She said this “Trump parallel” was especially striking during the exit polls, when Nawrocki gave a passionate speech quoting the Old Testament: “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14)

Poland’s Catholic bishops kept a low profile during the campaign, having borne heavy criticism in the past for being too close to the state. They relied instead on the document issued by the bishops’ conference’s Council for Social Affairs before the 2023 parliamentary elections.

In addition to general exhortations to participate in elections and to check whether “candidates are concerned with the ethical aspect of economic processes”, the Vademecum wyborcze katolika (“A Catholic’s Election Guide”) directs Catholics not to vote for supporters of “gender ideology” or abortion rights.

“In that document, the bishops effectively tell the faithful to look only at the words of the candidates, and not their deeds,” said Korzeniewska. “And, of course, Nawrocki has repeatedly declared that he is pro-life and that there are only two sexes in the world.”

However, she added that “it would be a gross oversimplification to say that Nawrocki’s victory was decided only by the religious voters”, noting that he enjoyed a slight lead among younger voters – the generation most distant from the Church, from religious practices and from faith itself.

“The political use or misuse of religious rhetoric and symbolism – and there was no shortage of that in Nawrocki’s campaign – does not seem to bother either the religious voters or those indifferent to religion. And this is not an optimistic circumstance for the Polish Church,” she told The Tablet.

While some observers in Poland warned Nawrocki could become a puppet of the Catholic hierarchy, others said the growing influence of Polish Catholicism in the universal Church threatened political abuse in the other direction.

“Whether Nawrocki succeeds to make use of the symbolic political capital of the Church will soon become apparent, as Poland is facing a decision on the reduction of religious classes at the state schools. In other words, we will soon see who is really manipulating whom,” Korzeniewska said.

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