Religious Life of the French Polonia in Years 1920-1986 as the Expression of the Bond with the Country of Origin

Abstract

The problems of the ties of French Polonia with the mother country at the level of religious life is the relatively little known question. Some of these problems have barely been mentioned in this paper, other have been omitted due to the lack of data, e.g. subscribing to the Polish religious papers, establishing libraries on the basis of the books ordered from the mother country, importing religious films, organizing pilgrimages to Poland by local pastors etc. The analyses which have been carried out entitle us to state that forms and motivations of the ties with the mother country and its culture have undergone great transformations among French Polonia over the period of 60 years. The motivation to nourish these ties on the part of the Polish pastoral care has not, however, undergone any significant changes. It is based on the belief that everything what the emigrants and their subsequent generations of the mother country, strengthening in them at the same time the religious values, thanks to specific Polish culture.