Barthes revisited - myths and mythology in the current Catholic discourse in Poland

Dr Aleksander Gomola (Jagiellonian University, Kraków)

In Poland, with around 40 percent of the population churchgoers, the opinions and ideas expressed by the Catholic clergy are still significant. These opinions and ideas are not so visible outside Poland since the medium of church sermons are overlooked, ignored or simply not known to outsiders. However they affect the attitudes and decisions of members of Polish society including politicians.

In my talk, I will present a brief insight into some aspects of these sermons, especially the ones that draw on topics from recent Polish history, such as communist rule, the Polish Pope, joining the UE or the Smoleńsk air crash in 2010. These and other elements are very often the building blocks of the Catholic-nationalistic mythology/ideology present in these sermons, which shape the vision of the modern world and position of Poland in it of a significant part of those who listen to them. Without knowledge of this current Catholic discourse it is difficult to understand and interpret the political and social situation of Poland today.