THE PERMEABILITY OF THE “IRON CURTAIN”: THE POLISH CATHOLIC CHURCH AS A FORCE OF DISSENT IN COMMUNIST POLAND

The article aims to examine the case of the Polish People’s Republic during the Cold War, with a particular emphasis on the Catholic Church as the central institution of resistance to communist rule. Despite systematic pressure and the promotion of state atheism by the communist authorities, the Polish Catholic Church maintained its role as a spiritual center, a source of moral authority, and a key actor in shaping cultural, social, and political life. By doing so, it emerged as the most significant competitor to the state in the spheres of ideology and social influence. Along with other institutions and phenomena such as national identity, intellectual elites, the diaspora, culture, and trade union movements, the Polish Catholic Church contributed to the permeability of the “Iron Curtain”, the gradual erosion of the communist regime, and represented the core of the suppressed but still active civil society of Poland. The case of Poland demonstrates the broader role of religious institutions in preserving national identity and fostering collective resistance under authoritarian socialism. The analysis of this paper employs a multidisciplinary approach that integrates historical, political, and cultural perspectives in order to assess the Church’s position within Polish society and its impact on the weakening of the totalitarian system.