POWSTANIE AKCJI KATOLICKIEJ W POLSCE W OKRESIE MIĘDZYWOJENNYM
THE CATHOLIC ACTION BETWEEN IN THE INTERWAR PERIOD IN POLAND. THE ORIGINS OF AND REASONS FOR ITS BEING

Summary/Abstract: The mission of the Church that has been created by Christ not only needsthe leadership of a hierarchical structure but also the group of lay believers whoact as active supporters and helpers in the proper and effective functioning ofthe institution. Prudent and thoughtful engagement of the laity in the apostolicendeavours and responsibilities have been appreciated by the pope Pius XI, whoestablished a society called Catholic Action. This organization has undertakenvarious apostolic and priestly activities in many countries throughout Europe,including Poland, as it was building a unified nation after gaining nationalindependence in the beginning of the twentieth century. This time in historyhas created extraordinary opportunities for the laity as Catholic Action wasopening its structures and setting goals. In retrospective, such activity can beperceived the providential tool that has played an important role in the development of the Catholic Church in Poland.Examining the level of participation and engagement of the Catholic Actionin the matters of the Church before the Second World War, one may boldly saythat it was a very well developed association gathering an enormous numbera of lay believers. It had a pivotal role in assessing the social, cultural politicaland economical needs in practically every community and responding to thoseneeds in an active way. The development of the Catholic Action was phenomenal between the years of 1918 -1939. In the first ten years of its existence,it was predominantly popular among the elites of the catholic intelligentsia,burgesses, but also peasantry. In 1939, there were 750,000 members in thisorganization, which ranks it among the most influential in the social arena ofPoland at that time.

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