Legal Opportunities Through which the Church May Carry out her Public Function

Abstract

Following the socio-political transformations after 1989, the Catholic Church, like other religious societies in Poland, has been granted broad legal guarantees to carry out her public tasks. These guarantees are written in the Constitution, the Concordat of 1993 and common laws. They embrace the following spheres: educational, formative and scientific activity religious ministry towards the people staying, for instance, in the army, hospitals, prison, rehabilitation institutes and the like, humanitarian, charitable and welfare activities. The church institutions, carrying out this kind of activity, may receive donations from the national budget, if they fulfill some conditions stated by the law.