ABSTRACT
This distinctive heritage of Polish Catholicism, interwoven over long periods, stems from the 1,034 years of the Church’s presence in Poland. Latin Christianity was introduced to Poland as Prince Mieszko I was baptised in 966. The notion that Polishness is necessarily associated with Catholic faith has steadily taken root ever since (Davies 1984: 268-78, 336-41; Osa 1989; Szajkowski 1997). More importantly, over the past two centuries, the Church has upheld and defended Polish national identity and values in the face of the partitions, the two World Wars and Communism. Even in the face of formidable obstacles, Catholic values and practices have been successfully passed from generation to generation as part of the national heritage.
