Twenty years ago, the deeply Catholic Poland was a backward agricultural and provincial country. Yet, since then, it has experienced an almost nonstop boom. Even during the 2009 recession, which we’re still recovering from, Poland’s economy grew by 1.7 percent. And thanks to its accession to the EU in 2004, unemployment fell from more than 20 percent to about 8 percent today. No surprise that Poles are among Europe’s most optimistic people… Read the article at Spiegel Online International.
But are they still "deeply Catholic"?
ReplyDeleteWho knows? However, the May 1, 2011 ceremony for John Paul's beatification is expected to draw from 2 to 3 million pilgrims to Rome from all over Christendom, most of them, according to religious operators, will come from Poland. This might well be significant.
ReplyDeleteAfter centuries of being trampled by the Prussians, the Russians, the Austrians, the French, the Russians, the Germans, the Russians and the Germans, and the Russians again recently...the Poles deserve at least some peace, independence and prosperity.
ReplyDelete@Robert:
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely. I am very happy for them and wish them all the best.