Jo Harper
07 April 2026•Update: 07 April 2026
Poland’s Catholic Church is working with the government on contingency plans in case of war or a major emergency, Archbishop Tadeusz Wojda, head of the Polish Bishops’ Conference, told the Polish Press Agency (PAP) on Tuesday.
Wojda said a special working group bringing together church organizations, the Interior Ministry and the Defense Ministry was drawing up a joint emergency plan.
The group includes Caritas Poland and is working with the Interior Ministry and Defense Ministry on a range of possible crisis scenarios, Wojda told PAP.
He said the plan covers the evacuation of cultural heritage sites, assistance for refugees, the creation of humanitarian corridors, and the use of church buildings as shelters and aid distribution centers.
“There are concerns that war could reach Poland … and we are not standing idle,” Wojda said. He added that many Poles would be likely to seek help first from the church rather than local authorities if a crisis erupted.
The move follows a meeting in mid-March between Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz, Interior Minister Marcin Kierwinski, and bishops attending the Polish Bishops’ Conference plenary session.
According to Polish media, ministers and church leaders discussed how parishes could support local communities during war, natural disasters, and other emergencies.
Poland’s more than 10,000 parishes are seen by both church and state as a ready-made local network that could be mobilized quickly, particularly in smaller towns and villages where the parish often remains one of the strongest institutions.
Government officials have said parish buildings could be used as shelters, supply points, and information hubs in the event of a crisis. Priests are to receive a practical emergency handbook, while training sessions have already begun in some dioceses. The government has also promised to provide parishes with generators, medicines, water, and hygiene supplies.
The initiative comes as Poland accelerates broader preparations for possible disruption caused by Russia’s war in neighboring Ukraine. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, Poland has increased defense spending to more than 4% of gross domestic product, expanded its armed forces, and revived civil defense planning.
The Church played a major role in the first months of the war in Ukraine, when parishes and Caritas centers across Poland helped organize accommodation, food, and transport for millions of refugees. Officials now appear keen to formalize that cooperation and turn it into a standing contingency structure.
The announcement also reflects the Catholic Church’s continuing reach in Poland despite declining attendance and public trust. While the institution has been weakened in recent years by abuse scandals and growing secularization, church leaders argue that its dense parish network still gives it a unique ability to reach communities quickly in a crisis.
