Identyfikacja katolików miejskich z księżmi parafialnymi. Analiza socjologiczna

Abstract

In this article I present the issue of the urban Catholics identification with parish priests. The analysis of this problem is grounded on attempts of sociological researches, which I realized among urban Catholics in 1982-1992 in Kalisz. These researches proved that greater percentage of Catholics identifies with parish priests. This identification is complete and engaged. It appears in the Catholic attitudes toward the hierarchic priesthood, in priest’s religious part in parish and Church, in the acceptance of the priest’s authority in community, in various contacts and ties with priests in parish, in the desire to have a priest in one’s family and in the environmental model of parish priest. By these researches it has also been proven that for the time being, it means in 1990’s, Catholics’ relations with priest become weaker, alongside with the decrease in the percentage of Catholics wanting to have permanent contacts with priests in parish and in private relations. That state of affairs evokes the current impairment in consciousness of the integration with priests among the increasing percentage of urban Catholics and among youth. That well noticeable disintegration appearing in the Catholics-priest relations has been caused by many agents, including the progressive selectiveness of Catholics’ poses and religious and ethical behaviours, and the desire to be detached from the Church and to eschew its influences and doctrine. There is an increase in the percentage of Catholics, who want to be religious without the Church and priest’s share and help in it. Attitudes and opinions like those can really be conducive to the process of disintegration among priests and Catholics in parish.