On 27.09.2008 Polish Episcopal Conference, has announced new rules of conduct on the formal act of the Roman Catholic Church. Publication of the instructions was the result of concern about the increasingly frequent phenomenon of the Church, made a formal act of apostasy in parishes throughout Poland. Instructions for the Polish Episcopate is inconsistent with the guidelines of the Vatican published in 2006 by Cardinal Herranz. In accordance with the provisions of the Polish Bishops' statement, the Republic of Polish citizens, followers of faiths other than Roman Catholic and non-believers, agnostics and atheists, often find themselves in a situation where the Polish Roman Catholic priests, preventing them from making apostasy. At the same time the priests giving vent their negative emotions, they complicate and sometimes try to prevent from leaving the Roman Catholic Church. Refusing issue documents required by Polish episcopate necessary to finalize the procedure, demanding payment, using a lie and trying to exert pressure on potential apostates is the order of the day. Of course there are cases cultural, similar to the recommendations Vatican procedures apostasy, but those - at least for now are definitely much less.

Necessity of bringing forward the witnesses for making an apostasy, obtaining additional documentation, a lack of formalization of the apostasy deadline, and preventing parents or legal guardians from deciding on the religious affiliation of their own children, is the activity against Polish Constitution, the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms and the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states: "Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change religion or belief (...)". Amazingly - in our opinion - operating in Poland the ecclesiastical law is also inconsistent with the Vatican's instructions made in 2006.

Polish priests' effort to postpone the finalization of apostasy, sometimes for several years, we perceive as ill will of the Church. Entirely incomprehensible is also a lack of recognition of apostasy which was made outside our country. Roman Catholic Church recognizes the baptism performed anywhere in the world, but the apostasy, Polish citizens are allowed to conduct only within Polish borders or in Polish parishes. There are at least a few million of paid emigrants living beyond of the the borders of our country, not to mention a large, multi-million Polonia. Why deprive these people of the possibility of deciding about their own belief or religious affiliation? Just because they do not live within the country of origin? Because of such activities comes to an absurd situation where in one country is the apostate, and in Poland a catholic. Certainly this improves the statistics the number of believers of Roman Catholic religion in Poland, but does Pope Benedict XVI really wish? Does feeding a fiction should be a base of the performance of this religion? We admit we do not care, but is it also indifferent to the Pope?

We realize that the Roman Catholic Church does not want to subject to any secular laws, but operating on its territory, should, like any other institution adapt to them. Can we remain indifferent if the apostasy of the Roman Catholic Church would subject to the same punishment which threatens irtidad in Islam? In accordance with the provisions of the Second Vatican Council, apparently the Church wants to respect the existence and rights of people who are not Catholics. It seems that the words of Pope John Paul I are still up-to-date: The First Vatican Council has many supporters, as well as the third. The second has them too little.

We, the citizens independent of the Roman Catholic Church we ask ourselves whether the pope is aware of the procedures that were adopted in Poland? Can we treat them as the first signs of a schism of the Church? Or perhaps, Pope Benedict XVI knows everything and agrees that the Poles are other people than, say, Italians, Germans, Spaniards, French and need other procedures than the rest of the world? If that is in fact, why the procedure announced by the Polish episcopate is in contradiction with the rules announced in 2006 the Vatican? Does it really not enough to complete the formalities by the Polish apostate according to the first point of the position of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts of 13 March 2006?

We, the Polish non-Catholics, we are aware of the likely absence of a response to this letter. It is clear to us that the principles of positive by the Church, tend to be contrary to the values that we profess. However, we would be happy if the Roman Catholic Church wanted to respect our inalienable right to self-determination for ourselves. This would be consistent with the spirit of respect and love of neighbor, which Catholicism preaches by itself.

We want the Roman Catholic Church finally allow, freely and not reviled human dignity, use our universal, inalienable rights. Just as the Roman Catholic Church enjoys in our country completeness - unfettered in any way - the freedom of fulfilling its religious mission, just as we wish the Polish non-Catholics the freedom and respect for our rights.

In the preamble to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states, we read: "[...] advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want has been proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common people" We believe that all people, regardless of religion or belief they profess should aspire to this aim.

Paweł Gliński

Jarosław Milewczyk

Olgierd Rynkiewicz

Cited documents:


1. The Constitution of the Republic of Poland.
2. Charter of Human Rights.
3. Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
4. Convention on the Rights of the Child.
5. Regulation of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts No. 10279/2006.
6. Instructions of the Polish Episcopal Conference of September 27, 2008.