РИМО-КАТОЛИЦЬКА ЦЕРКВА ЯК СУБ’ЄКТ ВПЛИВУ НА ЗОВНІШНЮ ПОЛІТИКУ СУЧАСНОЇ ПОЛЬЩІ

This study examines the role and mechanisms of influence of the Roman Catholic Church on the formation and implementation of Poland's foreign policy from the democratic transition of 1989 to the present day. In the contemporary international system, the significance of the religious factor is growing, which particularly actualizes the study of confessional institutions' influence on state policy. Poland, with its over 95% Catholic population, represents a unique case for analyzing the interaction between religious and political structures in the sphere of foreign policy. The research material includes constitutional and legal documents, including the 1993 Concordat, strategic documents of Poland's foreign policy, statistical data from the Center for Public Opinion Research (CBOS), party programs, and statements by church hierarchs. Research methods include institutional analysis of Church–state relations, content analysis of foreign policy strategies, and statistical analysis of sociological data on population religiosity. The research establishes the structural ambivalence of ecclesiastical influence: an extensive system of formal cooperation channels combines with the peripherality of foreign policy issues in the actual Church–state dialogue. The most effective proved to be the influence on the axiological foundations of foreign policy through the incorporation of Christian values into strategic documents. The case of European integration demonstrates the Church's pragmatic adaptability under geopolitical pressure. Simultaneously, internal secularization processes and the phenomenon of "Church cartelization" limit its mobilization potential and transform it from an independent actor into an instrument for legitimizing governmental initiatives. The study concludes that the Church remains an important but gradually declining subject in shaping contemporary Poland's foreign policy. The paradox lies in maintaining formal institutional influence capabilities while losing real capacity to mobilize public support for international initiatives.