THE INFLUENCE OF THE CATHOLIC HIERARCHY IN POLAND, 1989-96

The Catholic Church in Poland was a major social and political force i n communist Poland and it mobilized its diverse resources to achieve s ignificant policy victories in the period of Solidarity governments af ter 1989. The social welfare activities of Catholic organizations incr eased. Thus it looked for a time as through the new social welfare reg ime would be a type of Catholic corporatism. However, the Church hiera rchy did not adapt effectively to pluralist diversity. It often appear ed more concerned with its own institutional interests than with the s ocial problems arising from the new capitalist system. The electoral t riumph of the successor parties in September 1993 inaugurated a deteri oration in the relationship between Church and the new government, dom inated by secular elements. The Church shifted its attention to a more overtly political agenda, especially the Concordat and the Constituti on, and once again abortion. It did not participate in policy debates on welfare benefits, pensions, health or poverty. The coalition delaye d ratification of the Concordat and proved resistant to the Church's d emands on the formulation of the Church-State relationship. However, t he continuing significance of the Catholic Church should not be undere stimated. Politicians remained wavy of its influence and it retained a n impressive array of political resources.