Did Polish Bishops Support Andrzej Duda in the Presidential Campaign in 2020? Analysis of Institutional Messages of the Polish Episcopal Conference

Rafał Leśniczak
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0099-4327

Abstract

The aim of the article is to increase the cognitive value in the area of political communication of Polish bishops during the presidential campaign in Poland in 2020, in particular to answer the question whether the Polish Episcopal Conference supported President Andrzej Duda politically in his candidacy for re-election. The research applied the analysis and synthesis method supplemented with elements of hermeneutics. The Polish Episcopal Conference remained an entity not politically involved at the level of institutional communiqués and did not support any of the candidates applying for the office of President of the Republic of Poland in 2020. The issue for further political and media research remains that of complementary forms of communication of the ecclesial institution and the way of expressing one's own electoral preferences, for example through the Catholic media.


Keywords

Andrzej Duda; bishops; Polish Episcopal Conference; political communication; elections

Borowik, I. (2017). Religion, Politics, and Social Attitudes in Transforming Poland: A Conclusion. In: S. P. Ramet, & I. Borowik (eds.), Religion, Politics, and Values in Poland. Palgrave Studies in Religion, Politics, and Policy (pp. 313-324). New York: Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-43751-8_14

BP KEP (2020a). Rzecznik Episkopatu: W kościołach nie ma miejsca na kampanię wyborczą (Episcopal Spokesperson: there is no place for an election campaign in churches), 9.03.2020. https://episkopat.pl/rzecznik-episkopatu-w-kosciolach-nie-ma-miejsca-na-kampanie-wyborcza/ (19/10/2020).

BP KEP (2020b). Rzecznik Episkopatu: Ambony kościelne służą wyłącznie do głoszenia Słowa Bożego (Episcopal Spokesperson: Church pulpits are used exclusively for the proclamation of the Word of God), 21.06.2020. https://episkopat.pl/rzecznik-episkopatu-ambony-koscielne-sluza-wylacznie-do-gloszenia-slowa-bozego/ (19/10/2020).

Burgoński, P. (2020). Wyborcze grzechy (interviewed by Bogumił Łoziński) Gość Niedzielny, 14.06.

Dośpiał-Borysiak, K. (2020). Religion and Political Parties in Poland. In: J. Haynes (eds.), The Routledge Handbook to Religion and Political Parties (pp. 249-260). London – New York: Routledge.

eKAI (2020). Abp Skworc: Misją Kościoła jest zachęcanie do udziału w wyborach (Abp Skworc: The mission of the Church is to encourage participation in elections), 26.06.2020. https://ekai.pl/abp-skworc-misja-kosciola-jest-zachecanie-do-udzialu-w-wyborach/ (19/10/2020).

Gądecki, S. (2020a). Zachęcam do porozumienia ponad podziałami w sprawie wyborów prezydenckich (I encourage agreement beyond divisions on the presidential elections), 3.04.2020. https://episkopat.pl/abp-gadecki-zachecam-do-porozumienia-ponad-podzialami-w-sprawie-wyborow-prezydenckich/ (19/10/2020).

Gądecki, S. (2020b). Najlepsza Matka Ojczyzny, 3.05.2020. http://archpoznan.pl/pl/web/homilia/view/id/najlepsza-matka-ojczyzny (19/10/2020).

Gądecki, S. (2020c). Czas próby wiary, miłości i Solidarności (interviewed by Bogumił Łoziński) Gość Niedzielny, 7.06.

Jędraszewski, M. (2020). Apel arcybiskupa Marka Jędraszewskiego do wiernych Archidiecezji Krakowskiej o wzięcie udziału w wyborach prezydenckich (The appeal of Archbishop Marek Jędraszewski to the faithful of the Archdiocese of Krakow to take part in the presidential elections), 7.07.2020. https://diecezja.pl/aktualnosci/apel-abp-marka-jedraszewskiego-do-wiernych-archidiecezji-krakowskiej-o-wziecie-udzialu-w-wyborach-prezydenckich/ (19/10/2020).

Journal of Laws (2020). Decision of the Speaker of the Sejm of the Republic of Poland of 5 February 2020 on the Ordinance to Elect the President of the Republic of Poland, Journal of Laws. 2020, item 184.

Journal of Laws (2020). Order of the Speaker of the Sejm of the Republic of Poland of 3 June 2020 on the order to elect the President of the Republic of Poland, Journal of Laws. 2020, item 988.

KAI (2020). Abp Grzegorz Ryś: Kościół nie jest dla siebie, tylko dla świata (Archbishop Grzegorz Ryś: The Church is not for itself, but for the Word), 22.04.2020. https://deon.pl/kosciol/abp-grzegorz-rys-kosciol-nie-jest-dla-siebie-tylko-dla-swiata,849238 (19/10/2020).

KEP (2009). Statut Konferencji Episkopatu Polski (Statute of the Polish Episcopal Conference. https://episkopat.pl/statut-konferencji-episkopatu-polski/ (19/10/2020).

KEP (2020a). Słowo Rady Stałej Konferencji Episkopatu Polski „Pokój tobie, Polsko!” (św. Jan Paweł II, 1983) (Word of the Permanent Council of the Polish Episcopal Conference "Peace be to you, Poland! St. John Paul II, 1983), 28.04.2020. https://ekai.pl/dokumenty/slowo-rady-stalej-konferencji-episkopatu-polski-28-kwietnia-2020/ (19/10/2020).

KEP (2020b). Rada Stała Konferencji Episkopatu Polski (Permanent Council of the Polish Episcopal Conference). https://episkopat.pl/rada-stala/ (19/10/2020).

KEP (2020c). Prezydium Konferencji Episkopatu Polski (Presidium of the Polish Episcopal Conference). https://episkopat.pl/prezydium-kep/ (19/10/2020).

Kowalczyk, K. (2014). Kościół katolicki jako podmiot oddziałujący na system polityczny. Wrocławskie Studia Politologiczne, 17, 126-141.

Leśniczak, R. (2018). Polish Catholic press and political communication of the Church on the basis of the 2000-2015 presidential election. Political Preferences, 18, 37-56.

Leśniczak, R. (2020a). Czy tygodnik katolicki ‘Niedziela’ poparł Prawo i Sprawiedliwość w kampanii parlamentarnej w 2019 r.? Studium medioznawcze. Środkowoeuropejskie Studia Polityczne, 2, 171-190.

Leśniczak, R. (2020b). Wizerunek hierarchicznego Kościoła katolickiego w Polsce jako aktora politycznego (1989-2015). In: M. Marczewska-Rytko, & D. Maj (eds.), Partycypacja polityczna we współczesnym świecie (pp. 447-459), Lublin: Wydawnictwo UMCS.

Łoziński, B. (2020). Kościół za dialogiem. Gość Niedzielny, 9.02.

Mariański, J. (2017). Autorytet społeczny Kościoła katolickiego w Polsce w procesie przemian. Studia Paedagogica Ignatiana, 20(5), 77-106.

Miziński, A. (2020). Apel Sekretarza Generalnego Konferencji Episkopatu ws. wyborów prezydenckich (The appeal by the Secretary General of the Polish Episcopal Conference on the presidential elections), 7.07.2020. https://episkopat.pl/apel_sekretarza-generalnego-konferencji_episkopatu-ws_wyborow_prezydenckich/ (19/10/2020).

Omyła-Rudzka, M. (2020). Social Trust. Social Opinion Research Centre. Research Communication. no 43.

PAP (2020). Prymas Polski o wyborach 10 maja: Pierwszorzędne jest życie i zdrowie (Polish Primate on the elections on 10 May: the first priority is human life and health), 6.04.2020. https://www.pap.pl/aktualnosci/news%2C620618%2Cprymas-polski-o-wyborach-10-maja-pierwszorzedne-jest-zycie-i-zdrowie (19/10/2020).

Piwnicki, G. (2017). Relacje państwo–Kościół na przełomie XX i XXI wieku. Przypadek Polski. Cywilizacja i Polityka, 15(15), 146-164.

PKW (2020a). State Election Commission, Election of the President of the Republic of Poland 28.06.2020. Voting results in the first round. https://wybory.gov.pl/prezydent20200628/pl/wyniki/1/pl (19/10/2020).

PKW (2020b). State Election Commission, Election of the President of the Republic of Poland 28.06.2020. Voting results in the second round. https://wybory.gov.pl/prezydent20200628/pl/wyniki/2/pl (19/10/2020).

Radio Lublin (2020). Arcybiskup Stanisław Budzik: Jesteśmy odpowiedzialni za to, co dzieje się w naszej ojczyźnie (Archbishop Stanisław Budzik: We are responsible for what is happening in our homeland), 28.06.2020. https://radio.lublin.pl/2020/06/arcybiskup-stanislaw-budzik-jestesmy-odpowiedzialni-za-to-co-dzieje-sie-w-naszej-ojczyznie/ (19/10/2020).

Radwan, A. (2020). Wyobraźnia i odpowiedzialność. Drzewo decyzyjne wyborów prezydenckich w cieniu pandemii COVID-19. PAN@Wien Working Paper 01, 7-23. https://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3587457 (19/10/2020).

Resolution (129/2020) of the State Election Commission of 10 May 2020 on establishing that it is impossible to vote for candidates in the elections of the President of the Republic of Poland.

Roguska, B. (2019). Catholic Church and Elections. Social Opinion Research Centre. Research Communication. no 149.

Silesia24 (2020). Biskup Skworc: Wyborów nie wolno torpedować (Bishop Skworc: elections must not be torpedoed), 1.06.2020. https://silesia24.pl/wybory-prezydenckie/szczegoly/biskup-skworc-wyborow-nie-wolno-torpedowac-14069 (19/10/2020).

Topidi, K. (2019). Religious Freedom, National Identity, and the Polish Catholic Church: Converging Visions of Nation and God. Religions, 10(5), 293.

Więź (2020a). Kard. Nycz o wyborach: Liczę, że politycy nie powiedzieli jeszcze ostatniego słowa (Cardinal Nycz about the elections: I hope that politicians have not yet said the last word), 4.05.2020. http://wiez.com.pl/2020/05/04/kard-nycz-o-wyborach-licze-ze-politycy-nie-powiedzieli-jeszcze-ostatniego-slowa/ (19/10/2020).

Więź (2020b). Abp Jędraszewski zachęca do głosowania z właściwie ukształtowanym sumieniem (Archbishop Jędraszewski encourages you to vote 'with a properly formed conscience'), 8.07.2020. http://wiez.com.pl/2020/07/08/abp-jedraszewski-zacheca-do-glosowania-z-wlasciwie-uksztaltowanym-sumieniem/ (19/10/2020).

Download

Published : 2020-11-28


LeśniczakR. (2020). Did Polish Bishops Support Andrzej Duda in the Presidential Campaign in 2020? Analysis of Institutional Messages of the Polish Episcopal Conference. Political Preferences, (27), 25-38. https://doi.org/10.31261/polpre.2020.27.25-38

Rafał Leśniczak  rafalles@vp.pl
Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University in Warsaw  Poland
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0099-4327




Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

The Copyright Owners of the submitted texts grant the Reader the right to use the pdf documents under the provisions of the Creative Commons 4.0 International License: Attribution-Share-Alike (CC BY-SA). The user can copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format and remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose.

1. License

The University of Silesia Press provides immediate open access to journal’s content under the Creative Commons BY-SA 4.0 license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Authors who publish with this journal retain all copyrights and agree to the terms of the above-mentioned CC BY-SA 4.0 license.

2. Author’s Warranties

The author warrants that the article is original, written by stated author/s, has not been published before, contains no unlawful statements, does not infringe the rights of others, is subject to copyright that is vested exclusively in the author and free of any third party rights, and that any necessary written permissions to quote from other sources have been obtained by the author/s.

If the article contains illustrative material (drawings, photos, graphs, maps), the author declares that the said works are of his authorship, they do not infringe the rights of the third party (including personal rights, i.a. the authorization to reproduce physical likeness) and the author holds exclusive proprietary copyrights. The author publishes the above works as part of the article under the licence "Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International".

ATTENTION! When the legal situation of the illustrative material has not been determined and the necessary consent has not been granted by the proprietary copyrights holders, the submitted material will not be accepted for editorial process. At the same time the author takes full responsibility for providing false data (this also regards covering the costs incurred by the University of Silesia Press and financial claims of the third party).

3. User Rights

Under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license, the users are free to share (copy, distribute and transmit the contribution) and adapt (remix, transform, and build upon the material) the article for any purpose, provided they attribute the contribution in the manner specified by the author or licensor.

4. Co-Authorship

If the article was prepared jointly with other authors, the signatory of this form warrants that he/she has been authorized by all co-authors to sign this agreement on their behalf, and agrees to inform his/her co-authors of the terms of this agreement.

I hereby declare that in the event of withdrawal of the text from the publishing process or submitting it to another publisher without agreement from the editorial office, I agree to cover all costs incurred by the University of Silesia in connection with my application.