According to Archbishop Tadeusz Wojda, the president of the Episcopal said that it is not only about general declarations of readiness, but about a circumstantial plan, including assistance to refugees, evacuation of monuments, creation of humanitarian corridors and preparation of shelters. The centre of this model is to be the parishes, the most dispersed and dense organization network of the Church in our country.
– Together, an action plan is being developed in the event of a crisis, including the evacuation of monuments, the assistance of refugees, the creation of humanitarian corridors or the safety of places where people could shelter," said Archbishop Tadeusz Wojda.
The church speaks of a plan, but does not yet show its full content
At the Polish Episcopal Conference, there is already a peculiar group composed of representatives of various church institutions, including Caritas Poland, which cooperates with the Ministry of abroad Affairs and the Ministry of abroad Affairs on a plan for emergency action. On the side of ecclesiastical preparation are described not as a single aid project, but as a wider model of consequence to war, disasters and another extraordinary situations.
The work on the plan itself and the participation of Caritas and force ministries are confirmed. However, the full, ready-to-use action manual, the implementation agenda and the list of parishes or objects to enter the strategy were not yet published in public. At this stage, therefore, we are dealing with the disclosure of the direction of action, not the presentation of a closed, complete document.
The parishes are expected to be local facilities, not replacing the state
The Church sees its function primarily at local level. The president of the Episcopal argued that a dense network of parishes could play an crucial function in emergency situations, due to the fact that in many towns parish communities are the closest to residents and can respond quickly. The Church is not presented here as an alternate to the administration, but as a structure that can support the state where the velocity of contact, local designation and the anticipation of launching aid almost immediately is important.
– The government realises that in a crisis situation most Poles will first turn to the Church and then to municipal institutions and offices. It is so crucial to have access to measures that will enable civilians to last in a crisis situation," stressed Archbishop Wojda.
This direction did not appear only now. As early as March, the Ministry of abroad Affairs and the Ministry of the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of the Republic of Congo, after gathering with the bishops, informed that it wanted to cooperate with the Church in strengthening local security. At the time, the hotel talked about the usage of distributed parish infrastructure as possible shelters or relief distribution centres in the event of natural disasters and another threats.
This is simply a fresh civilian protection and civilian protection system
Since 1 January 2025, the civilian Protection and Defence Act, prepared by the Ministry of abroad Affairs, has been in force. This is the basis of a fresh 24-hour civilian protection strategy for natural, man-made and military threats. The bill is intended to supply the same level of protection both during peace and war. The state had already begun to build a legal framework for a crisis consequence system, and the discussion of the function of the parish is part of this process.
In parallel, the government launched the civilian Protection and Defence Programme for the years 2025-2026. It is planned to be implemented by PLN 16.7 billion in 2025 and PLN 17.2 billion in 2026, and 1 of the priorities is the improvement of shelters, temporary shelters, alarm systems and crisis logistics. The parishes would so act as a complement to the state civilian protection strategy being developed.
The clergy are to be trained, and the parishes get basic security
Archbishop Wojda besides said that in any of the places for clergy there are already peculiar workshops and trainings, and the Church cooperates with Caritas Poland, who has experience in helping civilians. The state was besides to declare that in a crisis situation the parish would be made available to material facilities in the form of power generators, water supplies, medicines and hygiene measures.
The importance of Caritas as a partner is not random here either. The organisation has been conducting major humanitarian operations for years, and after the Russian invasion of Ukraine it participated in helping refugees, supporting reception points, transporting assistance and psychosocial activities. In 2025, Caritas Poland continued to carry out a wide programme to aid Ukrainian citizens, including actions aimed at children, families and displaced persons.
