Since the last survey two years ago, there has been a clear change in Polish people’s participation in religious practices over Lent and Easter. Percentages of those taking part in each of the practices included in the survey are significantly lower, from 7 to as many as 15 percentage points. Unchangingly, the most people are those who fast on Good Friday (75%, a drop of 10 points), just over half go to confession at Easter (54%, a drop of 15 points) or receive ash on their forehead on Ash Wednesday (54%, a drop of 12 points). Almost a half of Poles takes part in some church services during the Paschal Triduum, which starts in the evening of Maundy Thursday and closes with evening prayer on Easter Sunday (48%, a drop of 10 points), while around two fifths participate in a retreat during Lent (43%, a drop of 8 points), the devotions of the Way of the Cross or the (specifically Polish) Bitter Lamentations (43%, a drop of 10 points) and the Easter Vigil (39%, a drop of 7 points)

It is also worth noticing that these are the lowest results since CBOS records began (in 2006). While a downward trend had been observed earlier in certain practices (going to confession, participation in a retreat or an Easter Vigil procession), in certain other cases the drop is rather unexpected. This concerns the Good Friday fast in particular: for years around 85% of people observed it, now this has dropped by 10 points. This sharp downturn could be connected with a general decrease in practising Catholics, which has noticeably accelerated since May 2020. It could of course be linked to the pandemic – though the easing of restrictions has not had any significant effect here. It can also be linked to sex scandals within the Church seeing the light of day, or the active role of the Church in the culture wars of recent years.

More on this subject in the CBOS report.