‘Polish Catholicism’ in Denmark: value tensions and varieties of transnationalism

The cultural role of the Catholic Church in Poland is a widely discussed topic within both public debate and scholarship on political religion. However, what has been relatively understudied is how these relations work as identity categories in forming and cultivating Polish Catholic diasporic communities outside the Catholic heartland. One example is the Polish part of the Catholic Church in Denmark. Because of several generations of migrants and especially since the free flow of workers since the EU-enlargement in 2004, the Polish part of the Catholic Church continues to grow. Based on fieldwork among Polish Catholic families and communities in Denmark, interviews with priests and lay movements, I analyze how theological and ethical questions are cultivated by a transnational connection to Poland, emphasizing family values and the role of religious education. My research shows how the Polish part of the Catholic Church in Denmark works as a diasporic celebration of the homeland and as a place and reference where vital decisions of ethical livelihood are articulated and developed, often perceived as a more genuine and sincere form of religion.