UK, Ireland /
Religion and identity among Polish immigrants in the UK [20]
Im a Pole but living in London for over 10 years. I've been once to a Polish church here. My friend's idea. It was nice but nothing exciting. My thoughts after this 'visit' were:
1. it's nice Polish people can feel togetherness - after mass there was a kind of a tea time or something - people mingled, got their teas and cakes, talked.
2. i didin't feel part of it as my relationship with the Polish Catholic church is - and has been for years - troubled one- nothing to do with being in the UK.
3. Found a seromon a bit annoying - kind of patronising but maybe some people need to be treated this way
4. Polish priests here - not all - are the same as in Poland - hypocrisy is the god
5. I like - haven't done it in ages thou - going to Anglican/Protestant/other churches. For some reason I feel more part of it/in place than I usedto in our Polish ones.
And now I tell you about the hypocrisy. It's a true story which happened to me - and was a joke among my friends for a long time.
We know the rules Polish priests suppose to obliged/live by, yes? Celibacy etc.
Anyway, about 10 years ago i made friends with some Polish people on a Polish message board. There was one guy that talking to him was quite interesting - pretty deep thinking etc. So we arranged meeting for a coffee.
We met. We talked. He managed to avoid telling me what he was doing here before citing 'i am a freelancer' (well - in Polish it's 'wolny zawod) but when we met, I kept pressing/guessing etc. And finally I hit the nail. He was a priest here in one of the better known Polish churches in London.
So, after finding out what he was doing in the UK, I got a full story out of him - how he found himself in London.
He was from a small parish in Poland. Tried to get a place somewhere abroad for a long time - and finally got lucky. Why did he want it so much? Because he fell in love with a young widow in his parish and people got talking about them. He knew if he comes here he may get a small Polish parish somewhere in the UK, or anywhere else, on his own. He can then bring the woman he loved at some point and be happy with no people talking - no resigning from church duties etc. Basically - having it both ways.
So - hypocrisy the same way as it used to be, and still is I believe, in Poland.
I didn't know if to feel disappointed or angry but I felt pity. Weak character, weak person - how someone two-faced can preach about morals and what people do abroad. Broken families, drinking etc.
On the other hand, my Latin teacher was a priest once. He fell in love, left the church, married the woman he loved, had beautiful kids and became one of the best and funniest Latin teachers.
This I admire and respect.
