Religion

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 95% of Poles are Roman Catholics. And though that figure is based on baptisms and the number of actual practicing Catholics is probably closer to 75% (and falling), Poland remains one of the most religious countries in Europe. For over one thousand years Poland has been a bulwark of Catholicism, fighting against pagan invasions and looking to religion for a sense of social and national unity. When Poland was partitioned in the 19th century, many turned to the Church for solace; during the communist era, underground resistance meetings were surreptitiously held in churches. The deceased Polish-born Pope John Paul II remains a genuine source of pride for all Poles, and is beloved in a way more profound than cynics in the West can understand. Those used to the more easy-going habits of the West may find the Polish enthusiasm for religion a bit unnerving at first, particularly the solemn and opulent processions that occur from time to time and the droves that flock to mass. Tourists should remember while visiting Wrocław's many churches that these aren't museums, but active places of worship to be treated with the requisite respect.